


The Outride to Remnant

by ThePreEminentWaster



Category: Dark Souls (Video Games), RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-04-22 01:01:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 126,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14297337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePreEminentWaster/pseuds/ThePreEminentWaster
Summary: Knights of the Boreal Valley were bestial, unrelenting and vicious, but each fell to the curse associated with their power. The last of their order has found himself in Remnant and is determined to carry out the Pontiff's will in this land, and overcome his curse even if the flame has long since faded.





	1. Chapter 1

The Alpha Beowolf stared in confusion at the fissure in the sky, a deep blue sea paradoxically flowing in the air that had been present from sunset. The pack was wary of the opening, but as the Alpha it was his role to prove there was nothing to be afraid of. But even an elder Grimm such as itself had never laid eyes on something quite like this.

Its confusion grew even more as the opening began to drip a blue gunk freezing the ground it touched, before an armoured mass emerged from the portal and dropped to the grass elegantly.

The creature felt no fear, the human was armoured yes but it stood barely over 6ft tall at best. It did not radiate power, its build was hard to see under the armour but it was certainly slimmer than the likes the monster had faced on its time in Remnant. The armour was archaic, the man was clearly clad head to toe in steadfast steel. The facial shape of the mask was strange, like an animal itself. A lesser grimm would have attacked by now but a animal of his age did not live this long without erring on the side of caution. The Alpha watched a little longer content to observe the patterns of its prey.

The figure straightened painfully, its back arching in a grotesque manner as it seemed as if his spine had broken. The cold air turned freezing as a miasma of ice radiated from the armoured man's mask, as it straightened out the figure bizarrely placed one of its hands on the ground assuming a more bestial position resembling a rabid dog, with its back turned to the predator watching it.

Upon seeing this weakness the Alpha could wait no longer; the human was deluded it was obvious. It would be an easy kill. The grimm pounced towards the human in an instant with a lightning burst of speed only to feel blistering pain and burning cold as the beowolf was slammed into the ground and then crushed down upon by the armoured man's knee. The Knight turned his head slightly and snarled quietly before humming in delight seeing that it had caught its victim.

There it was. That taste, that smell, that feeling. It was with him in the darkest depths and the tallest heights. That was his curse. That was his blessing. It was the Pontiff's gift, the holy eyes of Sulyvahn. Those who wore the holy rings were granted godlike prowess on the battlefield, an ability to lay down flurrying strikes with no end that grew in power the longer the attack was sustained, with unwavering stamina and vigour as long as they pressed the attack onwards. Unflinching, unfailing, unwavering, these were the traits of a true Knight of the Boreal Valley. The euphoria of it coursed through his veins and gave him unimaginable pleasure. A warbled mixture between a laugh and roar escaped his lips.

The mass under him shifted letting out a cross between a pained yelp and an enraged growl, reminding the Knight of his unfinished business.

It would be a lie to say he had ever seen anything quite like what was trapped beneath the metal joints of his knee. It resembled a wolf, but was jet black in colour; save for the strange bone-like mask that protected its extremities. An intimidating sight for most he would imagine.

The Outrider dug his sword deep into the back of the wolf-like creature's neck until it eventually stopped writhing. Then it disappeared in a black wisp of smoke, leaving no trace it had ever been there.

Gerhardt growled in frustration before sheathing his sword. What use was a creature if they did not bleed or in any way leave indication they had been there in the first place? It left him hollow and incomplete. He needed the splatter of blood across his armour, the sound of ripping and tearing flesh as he dug into his enemies. He… no what he saying?

The man gripped his head in pain, the side-effect of the rings. How could he forget? He had to be careful with how he carried himself, in and out of combat. The original five Knights of the Boreal Valley were doomed to become rampant beasts as soon as they accepted the gift of the Pontiff's eyes. He was not one of the original five. He was the sixth one, made to succeed where the others had failed. He could not and would not fall prey to what had consumed the others.

A growl inadvertently escaped his throat rupturing the night air, and the Knight once again moaned and gripped his head. What had the Pontiff said? To keep the curse at bay? What? What did he say?

Blood.

The curse ravaged the blood, he remembered now it was so clear. He withdrew an Irithyllian dagger from a pouch on his chestplate and removed his gauntlet, before grinding the dagger across his arm letting the crimson ichor spill to the ground, and water the soil.

Bad blood as it were, the curse spread in his most vital essence. If it was allowed to build up without being tapered off, the transformation could occur and he was not sure if he could come back from it. He would become a mindless animal fit only for the role of a ceremonial guard dog, or perhaps to act as a slave and do menial labours for the Pontiff. He was the proudest knight of Irithyll, he was not like his fallen brothers and sister; the curse would not be the end of him for that would be to spit on all he had been raised to be by his high Holiness. He was made for the position he filled.

The Knight now noticed the animalistic position he had assumed in his blood-drunk state, and straightened up into the proud paladin figure he was meant to be, slipping his gauntlet back on after freezing shut his wound; Gerhardt looked around him in interest.

Where was he? The forest was foreign to him; he had not seen the like of it anywhere in Lothric. It did not seem to be the Road of Sacrifices nor Farron Keep, the lack of swamp and marshland confirmed as much. And it was much too bright to be the outside of the Cathedral of the Deep. So where?

Every Outrider Knight was capable of navigating the Deep, that eldritch and consecrated expanse. It enabled them to hide in plain sight, or even travel great distances if necessary. Which was what he had been doing. The Pontiff had dispatched on his first mission as a true Outrider Knight; to guard Yhorm the Lonely Ruler of the Profaned Capital and prevent any unkindled from seeking to return the wayward Lord of Cinder to his throne, as that could interrupt the activities of Saint Aldrich and the Church of the Deep. He had been granted another unofficial mission by the Pontiff, but that was only between the two of them, but that was inconsequential at this point in time.

He knew he needed out of the forest, that was a given, then perhaps he could navigate elsewhere. At the moment he was a fish out of water, and was about as useful as a dull sword when stuck in these blinding woodlands. He had to see something, anything to orientate himself.

Another beowolf burst out of the brush to slam into what it saw as easy prey, only to be snatched by a clawed gauntlet and crushed in an instant lifelessly falling to the ground in an heap.

"Pathetic," muttered the Irithyllian Knight, his voice echoing in his helmet before he trudged slowly towards the edge of the forest. The least these beasts could have been offered was a challenge, there was no sport or honour to killing helpless animals no matter how aggressive they were. So far he had not been impressed.

The evening was quiet, and the silence deafening. Not to suggest that it displeased him. The cacophony of battle had its charm, but the rustic feel of nature's orchestra present in the forests of Lothric had never been lost on him. It felt fulfilling in a way.

After trudging for what felt like an hour or so, he came upon a less densely wooded area and he could finally see the night sky. Removing his helmet so that he could get a better look, he felt the biting sensation of the air on his skin. The problems of spending too long in a freezing helmet. He looked up to see the sky.

A bright and pale shattered moon glared back at him. His breath hitched in his throat as he observed the celestial object.

By Aldrich's name where was he?

* * *

"Glynda would you have a look at this?" said Ozpin, mug in hand while pointing to the screen of his computer with his eyes.

The deputy nodded curtly and inspected the statistics of Grimm activity in the Forever Fall, noting the sharp decline in the past few days. That was strange, the faculty had skimmed some of the grimm out of Forever Fall in preparation for the trip but not this many. The decline was radical, and rather abrupt appearing to have begun only a week ago.

"Has the Council ordered Hunters to clear the forest?" asked Goodwitch folding her arms and raising an eyebrow in an inquisitive manner.

Ozpin took another sip of his coffee "No, I have contacted them on the manner as far as I have been told no hunter has entered the forest save our colleagues a week ago. It should be free of anything but the grimm."

"And yet the grimm seem to be dying."

Ozpin sighed "They are at record amounts; someone or something is in that forest and appears to be quite adept at exterminating them." He glanced outside the window to look from his perch on the tower down onto Forever Fall, before speaking again "Glynda on that school trip I want you to keep an eye out for whoever or whatever is in that forest. They may be killing grimm but I have no idea as to what their intentions truly are. I wish I could spare some of the second years, but most are on mission at the moment as you well know. With you at the helm I feel the first years will be safer."

The teacher kept a stern face and bowed slightly "I shall see to it, nothing will go wrong on this trip as long as I have any say on it."

Ozpin relaxed in his chair slightly "Thank you Glynda."

As his fellow teacher left the room Ozpin could not help but wonder if the Queen could have anything to do with this.

* * *

"Alright team," hollered Ruby Rose, excitable as ever and causing Weiss a clear headache and provoking a death glare from the white haired girl. Ruby's smile grew impossibly bigger "We are not just going to collect four jars of sap; we are going to collect as much as we can!"

Blake sighed expressing the pain of a woman wise beyond her years "This is not just because you and Nora made a bet, is it?"

Ruby blushed slightly before shaking her head fervently "Blake I would never do anything like that not even if I was offered a trip by Nora if we won to that expensive cookie shop that Dad took me when I was younger, remember Yang?"

Ruby's sister smirked slightly "Yep I remember the day after as well because you ate so much that you were sick for the next week."

"Yang!"

"I also remember that you threw up so much that you clogged the sink for a full week as well."

"YANG!"

Yang's face grew ghostly pale. She continued "I also remember what happened when we tried to burn the sheets, the smell was not gone for a month."

Ruby fell to the ground in embarrassment, a broken being. Her red face quite resembling a tomato.

Blake let a ghost of a smile grace her face before continuing her earlier point "Besides that, why are you even reminding us? We are already pretty deep in the forest because we agreed to help you find more sap."

"I really want those cookies," muttered Ruby just about recovering from the earlier incident. Her silver eyes focused deeply into Blake's yellow ones "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Nor does she have any need to!" yelled Weiss, finally having lost her patience "Does nobody realise we are way too far into this forest? I cannot see or even hear any other teams."

Yang whistled slightly before responding "I am pretty certain Nora dragged JNPR out this way, so they cannot be too far, they are probably just being competitive and keeping radio silence if you know what I mean."

Weiss glowered slightly before closing her eyes in though. She nodded finally accepting the explanation "Well I guess that's alr-."

Weiss was cut of by an alpha beowolf slamming into a tree right beside her boring deeply into the bark and perishing. She yelped in surprise and withdrew Myrtenaster quickly pointing it in the direction of where the Grimm had come from.

Yang grinned and cracked her knuckles "Good, I was getting bored." She readied Ember Celica before staring at shock at what she saw.

The metallic figure entered the clearing dragging a beowolf by its skull as the creature desperately squirmed in the death grasp of the iron monster that had it. The icy miasma surrounding the figure was unmistakable, with the dew present on the grass around it freezing solid.

Finally seeming to tire of the baggage it was carrying the creature lifted the beowolf over its shoulders before bringing it down harshly against the reinforced knee of steel plate armour effectively breaking the grimm in two. The beast fell lifelessly to the ground.

The figure turned to face them and drew its ethereal blue sword towards them, dropping into a fighting stance and unleashing a menacing screech in their direction. The team could almost see the muscles in its legs tensing even under all that armour.

Ruby readied Crescent Rose just in time to see the being leap through the air weapon bared straight at her.

"Uh oh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys first story here hope to keep it going and update it every weekend or so, there will be longer chapters later on but for now I am keeping it kind of brief because I really wanted to get this idea on paper so to speak. See you soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby back-stepped quickly enough to just dodge the sword which slammed into the ground she had been standing on, in that second she locked eyes with the mask of the knight that attacked her. Ice-blue irises glared back, from a mask that looked like an animal and yet a man at the same time. She thought it resembled the look of the heroes who roamed Remnant in its dark ages, or at least what she had seen in the books her dad had read to her. Nevertheless there was something… off about it.

Before she could think any further, her attacker wrenched its sword out of the ground swiftly, and was on her like a man possessed, his black cloak billowing in the wind. Ruby was taken back by the speed she was seeing; even with her semblance she was only just dodging his attacks. The sword was almost like a blue blur to her, but she knew that if that haze even touched her she would be very sorry.

Thankfully Yang came quickly to her aid leaping into the fray, and pounding the ground with Ember Celica creating a shockwave and kicking up a sea of dirt in the surrounding area. However to Yang's dismay her sister failed to dodge the attack sending her sprawling to the ground, while the steel-clad man nimbly flipped backwards away from the area of affect before shifting his blazing eyes to her.

The aggressor quickly assumed a new stance wielding its longsword in one hand and pointing it outwards to Yang almost beckoning her to attack. The Knight carefully dug his armoured foot into the ground giving it a more solid foundation. The almost unnoticeable movement of its free hand would be missed by most, but not by one with a temper like Yang. The Knight was taunting her!

She screamed, and charged forward intent on beating the creep into the ground to get pay-back for her sister. She readied her right fist for a savage hook that would surely take the Knight out of the fight in a single hit. To ensure the power behind her strike she took to the air again, speeding towards the man like a bullet from a gun. Just as she was about to strike, her opponent bent impossibly backwards to the point where the helmet he was wearing was touching the ground. Yang felt herself passing over the Knight's body.

The Outrider let the blond girl pass over him for just a tad longer, before using his free hand to grab her leg allowing him to slam her viciously to the ground as he spun around from his unorthodox position. He then used his enhanced strength to stomp swiftly on his opponent's head to keep her confused. With his target disorientated and defenceless on the ground he raised his sword to stab her straight through her chest. But as he reared his weapon back he felt a blunt pain and was sent hurtling off his would-be kill eliciting a growl from him. The cold of the attack was familiar, they wouldn't dare to attack him with that would they?

One look in the white-haired girl's direction confirmed it; the fool was using ice against him. She was using frost against a Knight of the Boreal Valley! He almost laughed, that was akin to trying to burn a demon from Izalith. He would show her the error of her ways, and pointed his sword at the rapier-user channelling his power through it.

Weiss' eyes widened before she was forced to side-step a massive icicle that hurtled past her ploughing into an unfortunate tree which snapped from the power of the projectile. Before she could even think she had to dodge another, as her opponent seemed to be taking delight in making her dance for him. Missile after missile came towards her; the icicles were much bigger and thicker than her. Testing her aura against such a force was not something she was interested in trying, and she doubted that dodging was something she could keep up for much longer. That left her with only two real options; she could run away abandoning her team, or she could attack and put pressure on her aggressor. The choice was simple.

Weiss quickly spawned a glyph which would allow her to repulse off it and gather a large amount of speed in an instant. She could skewer her opponent's arm, which should render him incapable of attacking further until they could get someone to apprehend him. Within a plan clear in her head, Weiss stepped on her construct and launched herself forwards. Myrtenaster stood firm in her grip, and Weiss struck.

Gerhardt lips pursed before a faint smile graced them, just as expected. He quickly withdrew his dagger catching his opponent's thrust in the cross guard of his deflecting tool. He threw her ill-timed attack to the side savouring the look of shock from his enemy. He followed his parry swiftly with a riposte aiming his sword straight into her gut, intending to disembowel her there and then. To his surprise while he struck true, instead of impaling her as planned she instead was launched back from him into a sprawling heap nearly twenty feet from him. This struck him as odd; there was no way that she could have been wearing armour under that dress. Perhaps an incantation or spell of some kind had spared her? Ah, it mattered little no sorcery could survive a constant assault from an Outrider Knight, he would kill her yet. But there was other prey.

Gerhardt turned to the black haired girl, who drew her weapon pointing it at him. He recognised that distinctive shape anywhere, she was wielding a katana. That class of sword was favoured among the warriors of the East far beyond Lothric; he had never faced a user before. He could not hide his excitement, laughing from under his helmet. He was going to put to rest the rumours that the katana was a superior weapon to his beloved longsword.

Gerhardt motioned to her with his hand, in a universal sign of 'come here'. He then assumed a more traditional longsword stance, sheathing his dagger and putting two hands on his blade. He stepped forward to meet her.

Blake wasted no time, she was shocked that the enemy had dispatched her teammates so easily, but she would not be so simple. She drew Gambol Shroud, and rushed towards him with dizzying speed. The faunus struck, but each time she felt the resistance of her opponent's sword, even as she danced around him attacking from multiple directions. Was he omniscient; did he know where she would attack from every time? Or was he just that fast?

Gerhardt grunted as he successfully blocked another attack before he brought down his weapon trying to cut his opponent, she successfully blocked his attack to his displeasure but it mattered little. He would break her guard then. He drew his sword back and slammed it down against the katana grinning as he saw the shake pass through the swordswoman he was fighting. He did again even harder watching as her feet began to dig into the ground. One last strike would do it, as he raised his Irithyllian steel above his head a final time before slamming it into the eastern weapon forcing his prey to the ground and separating the katana from her.

Blake tried to reach her sword, only for an armoured boot to land on top of it. Then a clawed gauntlet lifted her by the scruff of her neck to face the Knight, whose breath chilled her to the bone. She saw him withdraw his sword, and grimaced as he thrust it towards her feeling pain, but glad her aura protected her from the fatal damage she could have incurred. She was sent back a few feet and curled up slightly.

The Outrider sighed; once more that mysterious presence had saved his enemies from a fatal wound. Were they sorcerers, or perhaps clerics of some kind? Only magic or miracles could replicate what they were doing. He would have guessed that they had used that miracle of second chances, Tears of Denial was its name if he remembered correctly. But that tale of the divine only gave you a second chance on death's door, it did not prevent injury. How then, were his combatants not being harmed by his attacks?

He heard heavy breathing before turning around to face the source of the noise. The red head was up and about again; he had thought her friend had knocked her out permanently. He would have to finish the job then. He turned to face her properly raising his sword only to see a flash of red and feel a massive force smack his head sending him hurtling into a tree. He slid down leaving an indent where he had landed, and looked on in shock. That girl was wielding a scythe larger than her with ease! How? Was she undead?

"Get away from her!" screamed Ruby, raising Crescent Rose for another slash at the Knight. Her strike rang true, and her target felt face first into the ground in a painful position.

Gerhardt groaned as his ears rung from the sound that his helmet had made when she had slammed his head. As he tried to rise from the ground again he looked up to see the scythe wielding girl trying to hit him again, he snarled in frustration. That was the last free hit she was getting.

As Ruby brought down her baby one more time to knock the Knight unconscious, she saw a flash of blue as the man's sword glowed. Suddenly she could no longer move Crescent Rose, as it was caught in something. Ruby blinked in confusion, the Knight was now holding a halberd similar to one of Cardin's teammates. As she tried to push her own weapon down the man pushed his up, try as she might she could not overcome the difference in strength and first felt her baby being lifted before she herself was in the air holding on to the scythe while the Knight hoisted her using the halberd. She felt a massive pain in her stomach, and saw the Knight had punched her in the stomach while she hung defencelessly. Ruby's fingers let go and she fell to the ground before the assailant.

Gerhardt hummed in delight, the fight had ended in his favour as expected. He could dispose of these beast masters and go back to clearing out the forest of their pets. He raised his halberd over the girl's head and prepared to bring it through her skull.

"Ruby!" cried Yang, trying to reach her sister despite her condition. She had crawled towards her futilely trying to reach her and stop the Knight.

Ruby grimaced, and tried to reach her sister "Yang!"

"Nora!"

Gerhardt perked up.

What?

The Outrider went to the ground again as a flamboyant warhammer introduced itself to the side of his head. A pained yelp left his lips, as he nursed his second head wound. Where did these people keep coming from? Gerhardt needed to get up, he would be much faster on all fours if he assumed such a position, it would let him fight faster and more savagely. It would be a more natural way to kill.

What was he thinking? By Aldrich it was starting again, he needed to end this fight and quickly before he yielded to his more bestial instincts. He struggled to his feet and pulled out the holy chime gifted to him by the Pontiff himself calling upon a tale of healing and protection of the Deep as told by Saint Aldrich all those years ago. Slowly his wounds began to heal, and he could feel the miasma of the Deep coalesce around to nurture and protect him. He redirected his halberd to face his opponent, before grimacing at the presence of three others behind her.

"Ren you go and get Blake and Weiss, I'll grab Ruby and Yang," ordered Jaune before turning to his other two teammates "Can you two hold him off until we get them to safety?"

Nora nodded with an uncharacteristically fierce expression, while Pyrrha raised Miló and Akoúo̱ echoing her teammate's grim determination. They gave each other space as they prepared for their foe to make his move.

The Knight charged with the halberd in a thrusting motion attempting to skewer whoever was foolish enough to remain in his path. Nora leapt to the side of the halberd while Pyrrha led her opponent adjacent to herself slightly by scraping her shield against the Knight's weapon. As she moved to capitalise on her opponent's weakness by stabbing at his back she was surprised by a powerful kick from behind that she just about blocked with Akoúo̱, nevertheless Pyrrha felt herself pushed back.

Nora ran in to hit the creature with Magnhild, only to find her warhammer caught in the halberd's blades, as her adversary hooked the weapon to try and wrench it out of her hands, however Nora was stronger than the last one he had pulled that trick on and she dug her feet in trying to prevent the loss of her weapon.

As the tug of war between hammer and halberd continued, the Knight stumbled as Pyrrha brought Miló against his side. Nora, seeing the opportunity at hand, successfully wrenched Magnhild from the halberd's grasp. She then slammed her weapon against the Knight's chest watching him double back clearly winded and in pain.

She raised Magnhild for a second swing, but the Knight suddenly charged forward, in a risky but rewarding manoeuvre tackling Nora before her teammate could stop him. A swift punch to the face put Nora down long enough for the Knight to focus on her teammate, going on the attack.

Gerhardt growled as yet another swing of his halberd failed to hit the red-haired fighter he was facing. She was making a fool of him in the worst way. He just could not seem to hit her; it was as if his weapons were not going where he was aiming them. It was subtle, but when he aimed to the right just as his weapon was about to connect it would shift slightly to the left. He felt more sluggish in his armour as well. The girl was doing something to him he just could not tell what exactly. The spear thrust caught him again in the side, sending him to his knees in pain.

Gerhardt stood up holding his side. He feigned a swing to present himself as being susceptible to a counter attack. Predictably his opponent took the bait. She thrust her spear in to try and capitalise on his perceived error. She was rewarded with a hand grasping the spear and pulling his opponent into a ferocious head-butt sending the combatant to the ground.

Just as he was about to finish the spear-user, Gerhardt heard a bestial growl, and turn to lock eyes with one of the bear-like creatures he had been facing over the past week in this hellish forest.

"Ursa!" called one of those newcomers, the blond one with the sword and shield. A good choice in weaponry as far as Gerhardt was concerned.

Ursa? Was that its name; was it one of their personal pets, or perhaps the name of that type of animal? Interesting, perhaps they were calling for aid now that he had defeated them. Regardless that bear-like thing was the biggest threat so he roared a challenge of his own and charged at it.

He dived under the clumsy paw swipe, slicing the blade of the halberd across its wrist, getting behind it. Before it could turn to face him he plunged the polearm deep into the back of the monster twisting it brutally. He could feel the warmth of the Pontiff's eyes on his fingers; the rings were glowing and doing their work. He felt his wounds close, his side no longer screaming in agony and his stamina began to improve as a red aura surrounded him as his blood began to boil.

The Right Eye was telling him now was the time to let lose.

To the Ursa's credit, despite the savage damage it just had endured, it did manage to get round to face Gerhardt. It let loose yet another roar and raised both of its arms to slam upon the Knight. The Outrider cleaved the creature in two with his halberd watching the Ursa feel weightlessness as its upper body separated from the lower. It had not stood a chance, when the power of the Right Eye coursed through him he could cut through plate armour as a chef carved a cake.

A sudden rustling became apparent from the surrounding vegetation. He turned to see one of those wolves launching towards him, before he could do anything a golden javelin slammed into it pinning the animal against a tree. The red spear-woman he had fought just moments ago went to retrieve her weapon, before giving him a brisk nod.

A truce? To fight these things? How foolish had he been? They must have been killing them just as he was, and yet he had attacked without even thinking of asking. He bowed slightly in return, before turning to face yet more of these corrupted wolves and bears.

Jaune blinked in shock as he watched Pyrrha manage to make peace with the Frost Knight in a single exchange. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but if they wanted to get out of Forever Fall alive he would need to put them on the backburner for now. His mother had not raised a fool.

Jaune charged in, it may have been foolhardy but his friends were on the line. He could not leave it to chance. Jaune drew Crocea Mors and charged the nearest beowolf, cringing as the creature slammed into his shield. The slashing from the grimm was fierce, but his defence stood true.

Suddenly the monster stood fully on its hind legs, using its sizable height advantage to surmount Jaune's shield. The hunter-in-training swung his sword with wild abandon in a show of desperation, and was shocked to see Crochea Mors successfully slice the beowolf's head from its body. He couldn't help but let out a yell of triumph.

Pyrrha smiled, lowering her hand slightly having used her semblance to aid Jaune. However another beowolf launched itself towards her while she had not been paying attention, before she could use Miló to attack the grimm yelped in pain. A clawed gauntlet caught the beowolf in mid-air crashing it to the ground before a halberd impaled it. The Frost Knight wasted no time charging past her leaping wildly at yet another ursa straight towards its jaws, only to force the polearm down the throat of the grimm pushing it into the dirt.

Pyrrha backed him up in a superhuman show of acrobatics kicking the snout of an ursa who seemed to be trying to avenge its fellow grimm. She then stabbed Miló through the eye of the beast killing it instantly. Finally she kicked a beowolf to the ground, before crushing its throat with her shield.

She looked around to see the black mist of the grimm dying; that seemed to have been the last of them. Ren stood over a dying ursa with nary a scratch on him. The champion could not deny that, no matter how dangerous it was, fights like this were exhilarating.

The Frost Knight trudged up beside her, staring down at her slightly. Pyrrha was surprised, despite the strength and speed he had shown, he barely stood over her. She was wearing heels of course, but it was surprising.

"You fight well," said Pyrrha, extending the olive branch of peace to the warrior.

Gerhardt cocked his head at the compliment before nodding softly his hoarse voice echoing from his helmet "As do you." He ran his hand across his halberd returning the weapon to its original state as a longsword before sheathing it. The Outrider sighed before looking at her again "Who are you?"

Everyone seemed to be paying attention to the duo now fully engaged in conversation, with the pair seeming to actually be getting on. The Knight was even shaking hands with Pyrrha as they exchanged introductions. She gestured to her friends and the pair approached. Team RWBY were finally getting back up, they felt sluggish even considering what had happened to them.

"My aura feels weird," groaned Ruby, as she rubbed stomach which still hurt quite a bit. She feared this would have ramifications on her cookie-eating habits.

Yang nodded wordlessly, as she looked at Blake and Weiss who seemed to be having similar troubles. Even Nora was wobbly on her feet after getting up, seeming to be like a newborn lamb as she used Magnhild as a crutch to stand.

Pyrrha gestured to her team "That's Jaune, Ren and Nora. They're my teammates."

The group waved back, with Jaune greeting Gerhardt with an awkward hello.

Nikos' hand moved to point at Team RWBY "And that's Ruby, Yang, Weiss and Blake. They're another team but we are friends." She pointed back to the Knight "Everyone this is Gerhardt."

The Outrider bowed his head in apology "I am sorry for the brashness of my actions, I had thought you were in league with those beasts."

"You mean the Grimm?" asked Ruby, looking up at the man with shock. She frowned "We hunt the Grimm, we are all hunters-in-training at Beacon."

"I can see that now," said the Knight nodding towards the wreckage surrounding them, He withdrew his chime as he looked at them "Might I heal you? It is the least I can do after the wounds I have caused."

Ruby nodded in confusion, was his semblance healing based? She was fairly certain his ice attacks were his semblance considering the barrage he had thrown at Weiss earlier. Maybe he could use ice to heal as well.

Gerhardt rung his sacred chime, recalling tales of healing and recovery, a golden aura surrounded the group. He watched as the girls he healed got up and looked less frail. He was unsure of how exactly he had damaged them, as there was not actually a physical cut on them. Whatever the case, they did seem to take damage which was a good sign. It meant they were human at the very least.

Beacon that girl Ruby had said, that only further reinforced what he already knew. He was not in Lothric; Gerhardt knew judging from the moon that he was not on the same world even. If Beacon was some kind of school, then perhaps he could find answers there as to how he could get home. That being said, what if they decided upon hearing of his story to keep him here? The Pontiff's mission still had to be fulfilled. Perhaps a show of confusion would be necessary.

"What are you doing here anyways?" asked Yang, warily looking at Gerhardt; she was still smarting from their fight. The Knight could still turn on them as far as Yang was concerned.

The Outrider shrugged in response before formulating his lie "I am afraid I cannot recall what I was doing. I awoke in the forest a week ago, and I have no idea as to how I arrived here."

"You've been here an entire week, have you eaten!" asked Ruby, staring with worry at Gerhardt. Even if he had been rather mean earlier, he had apologised. She couldn't let him starve!

Ruby wandered over to Gerhardt and grabbed him by his hand "Come on, let's go Ms. Goodwitch and see if we can get you something to eat."

Ah. The inhabitants of this world were quite forward, Gerhardt supposed he could get used this. It was a nice change from Irithyll.

He allowed the girl to lead him, as they left the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys checking in for the second chapter, I have not much to say. This is longer than the first chapter, around 4000 words and I would wager that 4-5k words will be the general length for each chapter unless I have a lot to do in one particular chapter. I will try to update around the late hours of Saturday/early hours of Sunday each week for this story but from time to time it may take longer. The author notes posted should mention whether there will be delays, but if not you can check my profile and I will definitely have said if I have had something come up. Until next time.


	3. Chapter 3

"Can I see it please?" begged Ruby Rose, eyes full of wonder at Gerhardt's blade. Her hands were twitching like they had a life of their own, and he could almost swear she was drooling slightly looking at the sword.

Gerhardt looked down at the pint-sized horror. Ruby had been alright at first, a little excitable certainly, but as soon as he began to talk to her he realised the horrible truth; the girl lacked an off switch. She just talked and talked and talked. And that was before she had begun to show an interest in his weapon.

He groaned slightly "Why are you so fixated on my sword?"

Yang chipped in, she was still cautious of the newcomer but even she realised what a handful Ruby could be at times "My sister is a weapon buff, she has an eye for all kinds of gear. Your stuff has caught her attention."

Gerhardt nodded his thanks; he was uncomfortable with the idea of giving the girl his blade; the weapon was a gift from the Pontiff. This was not something to be frivolously handed around without care. He was not sure that the girl could look after it.

"I promise I'll take good care of it!" declared Ruby, seemingly reading his thoughts, all the while edging closer to the Outrider who was visibly uncomfortable with her proximity. That was quite enough for him.

"Fine," muttered Gerhardt before unsheathing his sword "I must warn you however it weighs a great deal."

Not that it would matter to her considering the size of the scythe she carted around.

The longsword was tossed towards Ruby who caught it, and with a huff struggled to bring it up. She smiled slightly "You weren't kidding, huh?"

Ruby ran her hand along the edge; it was rather featureless if she was going to be quite honest, not that it was not crafted well it just looked extremely plain to her. The actual blade lacked any form of ornate decoration, but the grip seemed to be covered in runic etchings. The writing was not attractive however lacking in any form of splendour; the markings seemed messy as if they had been scraped in after the weapon was forged. She could read the impromptu engraving, but they seemed entirely foreign to her as if they were in a different language. To be honest they probably were.

She searched the butt of the weapon as well as the entirety of the grip looking for the button she was certain it had. After confirming it had none she gave it an experimental squeeze to see if that activated its transformation. Nothing happened.

Ruby looked up at the weapon's owner "How do you change it?"

Gerhardt raised his glowing hand towards the blade before running it across the weapon shifting it from a sword to a halberd. Ruby stumbled as she grew accustomed to the new shape; her grin grew larger as she saw the magic trick.

She practically squealed "This is so cool; it can become a sword and a halberd!"

She carefully twirled the polearm and looked over it; the markings had stretched to cover the blade without deforming or losing their shape. That was strange.

"Not just that," said Gerhardt, his hand reaching out again with that ethereal blue glow running it across the halberd causing it to shorten ever to slightly before thickening into a larger sword.

Ruby blinked in surprise "A great-sword too!"

Gerhardt held off on informing her it could become a curved sword, rapier and axe as well deciding that this could blow the little girl's mind. It could also turn into a mace, but he never used that form. He lacked the skill with blunt weaponry that his predecessor Vordt had.

Ruby gave the weapon an experimental swing, finally becoming accustomed to the weight of the steel she was using. She was living proof that looks could be deceiving when it came to strength, Yang was as well, but Ruby was still shocked that this was the thing that Gerhardt had been using during their fight. The speed inherent in how he used it was impressive considering it felt like it weighed a ton.

The clawed gauntlets beckoned for the weapon back, and Ruby sighed before handing it to the man who looked more comfortable now that his sword was in his hands once more. He transformed the weapon to its sword state, and sheathed it again. He continued walking towards the general direction that the blond boy was heading. He was little better than a puppy following its mother, but he wanted out of the forest more than anything at the moment.

Ruby continued to try and make conversation "So, you're a hunter too yeah?"

"No."

"Then what are you?"

"Lost and tired."

Ruby smiled "Oh don't worry about that when we get back to Beacon we can get you a map and a bed. Trust me we all know us teenagers need rest. Am I right?"

By all that he held holy, could she not take a hint? He appreciated the pleasantness of the girl, but he really was not made to socialise at all. The Dancer had been good with words; he was good with at fighting. That was just how things were.

That thought drew his mind to the sole fleeting female of the Outrider Knights; he could remember her being the most charismatic of the Outriders he had been around before they left. The Dancer was motherly almost; she likely felt a connection to the youngest Outrider. That being said all of them had been kind to him, save Vordt considering that he had never actually met the man.

Vordt had left long before the rest of them, the Dancer and the three others did not follow for a full three years after the Captain of the Knights had departed. Gerhardt had not been made before Vordt had left, but the Pontiff had graciously created him just in time to be trained by his siblings to a degree of competency before they left to follow their leader. Afterwards his Holiness had seen to his training personally for the next few years up until the bells had rang in the Cemetery of Ash, a great honour of which no one else could boast.

Shaking his head from the distraction, Gerhardt chose the wisest option. He kept his mouth shut instead hoping that no words would dissuade her from talking further. He looked firmly to his right, avoiding the crimson girl's gaze only to stare into the turquoise eyes of the owner of the flamboyant warhammer.

"So Ren and I want to know how you feel about pancakes."

Aldrich save him.

* * *

Gerhardt had no words to describe the horror he had been through trying to get to this Beacon academy; the two groups had met with a blond haired woman who introduced herself as a witch. She then sternly spoke with the two teams before informing them they would be in detention for wandering so far into the forest without telling anyone else. This had gotten the leaders some pointed glares from their teammates.

Once she had finished with them she had turned on him assaulting him with a barrage of questions faster than he could even answer her. He tried to give her satisfactory replies, but in the end she just sent him away again.

After that they went into a metal bird, a "bullhead" they called it, before the thing lifted into the air at unnatural speeds to bring him to a school on top of a mountain. All the while his complaints and grievances were dismissed with a "wait until we see Ozpin".

He did not even know what an Ozpin was!

Finally after all of this he was basically dragged by the witch towards the office of the Headmaster, who he now realised was Ozpin and stood in front of him. That had all been five minutes ago.

For five minutes he had been staring at a white-haired man who nonchalantly sipped on whatever he was drinking while idly pressing buttons on a device Gerhardt did not even recognize. This Ozpin was lucky that the Pontiff had taught Gerhardt need for manners and patience or he would have already torn this man and his office apart.

The Headmaster finally looked up at him with a smile on his face, that kind of smile that was far too gentle to be genuine "Take a seat would you, I think you and I have much to discuss."

Gerhardt's clawed gauntlets gripped the seat, and pulled it out before he sat on it warily watching the man for any sign of aggression. He had no idea of what this 'Ozpin' wanted from him; the Outrider had to be wary but at the same time pleasant to talk to. That was a hard combination for one as awkward in speech as he.

Ozpin moved forward a cup "Tea or coffee? You must be thirsty from spending a week alone inside Forever Fall."

He was of course genuinely offering him something to drink; his guest was likely parched beyond belief unless he had been drinking regularly from streams. However, it was also important that they could see eye-to-eye, and that was never going to happen with cast steel firmly enclosing the other man's head.

Ozpin knew he was not likely to get answers out of his guest as to why he truly was in Forever Fall; Glynda had notified him by scroll of what she had gotten out of the armoured knight before he had even arrived. It was not much.

There was merit in keeping his guest on school grounds, and in his sight. Then perhaps once he had gotten the newcomer to settle Ozpin could get answers. That being said he could not just keep a person here for no reason, he could only hope he was the right age for Beacon otherwise he would have to hand him over to Ironwood. James had less pleasant ways of getting answers.

"I thank you, but I'll be quite fine," murmured Gerhardt, seeing what the man really wanted. He was not removing his helm if he had anything to say about it. He had not yet inspected himself since his last fight; it was completely possible that mutations had developed on him especially considering that he had used the Right Eye in the battle with those beasts. The moment the man saw anything inhuman on him, he would be killed at best or at worst kept to be experimented on.

Ozpin frowned but nodded "Ah, well you have me quite interested Mr…?"

"Gerhardt."

"Ah well Gerhardt, I must admit that I was quite taken back by your presence in Forever Fall, and the death count you tallied while you were in it. You oversaw a decline in the Grimm population of Forever Fall by thirty percent, in a single week," said Ozpin, inspecting the data on his computer to confirm what he was saying. He turned back to the armoured warrior "Even for a veteran huntsman that would be an impressive feat."

Gerhardt had no clue as to how to respond so he just nodded dumbly, thankful that his helmet closed him off from any real scrutiny from the man. The miracles that this piece of protection afforded him seemed endless.

"Tell me Gerhardt, how old are you?" asked Ozpin, clasping his hands under his chin. The answer determined where this conversation was going.

That was a difficult question to answer; the Pontiff had created him so he did not exactly mature as would be expected of a regular human. Irithyllians matured differently to normal humans in general, due to the relation they shared with the old gods according to the Pontiff. An Irithyllian could live for hundreds of years naturally. Gerhardt was no Irithyllian however; he was a human who had been created and augmented into an Outrider by the Pontiff; it was his Holiness' belief that a regular human would react differently to the curse of the Eyes, and could perhaps overcome it. He had been born as he currently was so to speak, and time was convoluted in Lothric so discerning his actual age was difficult to say the least. He was physically young however that could not be denied.

"Sixteen years old," answered Gerhardt, having thought for a moment. Ruby had said indirectly that she was a teenager, and judging by what he had seen of the two teams he had fought had they seemed around the sixteen to eighteen years old bracket. His physical maturity was not that much different to theirs, though his biology certainly was.

A smile graced the Headmaster's lips, and he gazed intently into the eyes of the Outrider "I would like to make you an offer then Gerhardt, one I think you may find merit in. I think you and I would both benefit from you attending Beacon Academy."

Gerhardt narrowed his eyes, the man was bold and audacious he would give him that. What was the Headmaster's game? What did he seek? The Knight was not blind to how he could gain from such an arrangement, but what about this Ozpin? What did he achieve by making this offer?

The proposal was very tempting however. As it stood currently, he was unable to do much of anything in regards to returning to Lothric. He had tried traversing the Deep while he had been stuck in the forest; he could still travel distances but he could not return to his home, and he found the amount of ground he could travel was far smaller than what he had previously enjoyed. It was as if the Deep had a neutered connection to this world. That scared him.

Gerhardt had to find answers on how to return, but could trust no one. This was a regrettable turn of events but hardly unexpected. He had understood that he would be in the wolves' den when he came to this school. Perhaps some tomes they kept here would shed light on his predicament. He was going to have to take this offer.

Ozpin smiled before gesturing to the conflicted Outrider "Of course if we were to shake on this, I would need to see your face. I want to believe you, but a good look at you should prove you are sixteen as you say."

The Knight froze, but regrettably he knew there was fairly little way around this. In a way he was unfortunate that he lacked the helm of his predecessors, favouring a more skull-like design. His proportions did not fit the typical helm of an Outrider Knight; he did not have the long features of trueborn Irithyllians. While his helmet was easier to take off than most, it still could not be opened up halfway like his brethren's armour could. In other words, he could not feel his face for mutations or deformities before showing himself to this Headmaster.

Gerhardt clasped the back of his helmet with one hand, a skill one learned quickly considering squires were not a thing for Outrider Knights, laying another against his side where he kept one of the three daggers he had on his person at all times. If all went well it would see no use, but if the man reacted in any way then he would slit his jugular quickly before making his escape. It seemed a solid plan or rather the most solid plan he had at the moment. It was as they said, what was bravery without a dash of recklessness?

Ozpin watched as the metal mask the man had been wearing finally came undone settling on the knee of his guest. The Headmaster was shocked at what he saw. A boy sat before him; a pale, almost deathly face with a piercing gaze. If he was to guess, this was the first time the youth had taken that helmet off in a long time. His eyes were blue, but nowhere near as luminous as they had been behind the helmet. His hair was auburn albeit extremely sickly looking killing most of the colour in it. The Knight beneath the armour looked frail.

The Headmaster sighed, he had so many questions but he knew he would not get answers. He extended his hand "You may want to get washed up before doing anything else, and get something to eat. Welcome to Beacon, Gerhardt."

The Knight grasped it tentatively before shaking it "Thank you for your hospitality."

Ozpin let go and leaned back "I will see about getting you into a team, as Hunters, when training at least, generally operate in four-man cells as you might have already noticed. There are no actual openings in any team as of right now, but I have an idea or two for how we can squeeze you in to the academic year. On that topic how is your literacy?"

"I do not think I can write well at all," ventured Gerhardt, he had seen the Ruby could not decipher the writing on his weapon, which likely meant that while he could speak the tongue he could not write it. A curious thing, but one he would have to work with.

Ozpin nodded; he had made an educated guess. Call it luck, but he just knew from the state of the boy that his literacy would be an issue. The fact he could speak well enough was interesting, he had his theories as to where the youth had come from, but he would need to speak with Qrow and the others first before he came up with anything concrete.

"Do not worry that much, I'll refer you to Professor Port for after-school lessons on writing. The man has a way with words, but he knows how to write a story as well. He can teach you," assured Ozpin, while sipping from his cup.

"Thank you."

Ozpin nodded "As for accommodation, you will stay with teams RWBY and JNRP intermittently to familiarise yourself with how Beacon works. Ms Goodwitch will also be keeping tabs on you to make sure you are settling in. Once I work something out for you in regards to a team, you will move in with them. But until then you will stick with RWBY one week and JNPR the next. Ms. Rose and Mr. Arc are the team leaders, I expect you to follow them as if they were your leader for the period you are under their care."

Gerhardt was calm on the outside, but on the inside he was dreading the idea of being commanded by that excitable girl with a penchant for weapons. The Arc boy seemed alright though; perhaps Gerhardt would do well to remain on his good side.

"Oh and do remember being at Beacon is not just about learning, it is also about having fun."

Somehow the Outrider knew that this would be a horrible experience for him in general.

* * *

Ruby Rose had always been an excitable person, both her dad and her sister told her as much, but she honestly was horrible at making friends. Team RWBY was the best thing that had ever happened to her; she kept her great big sister as well as getting the opportunity to meet two of her new best friends. With the advent of her first real friend at Beacon Jaune Arc, she had gotten the opportunity to make even more friends in the form of Team JNPR. She was on a roll in the friend-making business and the girl had found her next target.

"This is going to be great!" said Ruby an infectious grin plastered across her face "We are going to do so many things together, like playing video games and discussing weapons and shopping and discussing weapons as well as eating cookies and discussing weapons!"

Gerhardt had firmly screwed his helmet back on as soon as he had left Ozpin's office, and he was beyond grateful for choosing to do as such. He took these new developments in stride.

"I look forward to getting to know all of you."

The white-haired one huffed and went back to doing homework.

The black-haired girl with the strange scent did not even look up from her book and kept reading.

And the blond older sister growled at him.

Ruby put her hand behind her head and laughed nervously "They'll warm up to you, I promise."

Gerhardt did not believe her.

* * *

Adam Taurus was by many accounts a complicated man, full of ambition and self-righteousness as well as determination. He had never subscribed to such ideas; he had a simple outlook on things; did the White Fang gain from this or did they not? Once he had started looking at life this way, he found that things had become easier to keep a hold of. If there was one thing you needed to do in life, it was keep a hold of it.

He was in Mountain Glenn at the moment, clearing up a few things for his 'associate' Cinder Fall before he left it to that red-haired ponce that Cinder had running the ground operations. The fact that he had to leave his men in the hands of Roman Torchwick was enough to make Adam's blood boil. The crook did not even treat them well; he would have gutted him already if Cinder had not stressed the importance of his role. Adam had graciously accepted her reasoning under the condition that if he ever laid eyes on the man he would kill Torchwick regardless. So far the unofficial restraining order had worked, and he had not been forced to deal with the thief.

"Adam?"

The White Fang leader turned to face his comrade "Perry, I was lost in thought."

The dog faunus nodded "So I see, but I want to show you what we found in our excavations. I haven't told Roman yet, I felt it was more important you see it."

The pair walked into the excavated cavern, boots crunching over loose dirt and rocks. The cavern had started out plain, and natural, but the further in they went the more artificial it looked. It seemed as if they had stumbled on fortifications that had become submerged in a sea of soil and rock.

Perry gave voice to Adam's thoughts "We haven't exactly figured out when the ruins date to, we do not exactly have many historians among us much less one here, but they are extremely old. I'd guess this place hadn't been touched in thousands of years."

"And you just happened to stumble upon it?"

The dog faunus nodded slightly "When we were digging the tunnel for the attack due in Vale, we needed more materials for sandbags among other things. We started taking chunks out of the ground and walls, away from the actual main tunnel in case we caused problems with the structural integrity, but soon enough the excavator hit something much stronger than dirt. We were originally going to leave it, but I was curious so I ordered a few of the men to open it up in private that way Roman would not throw a fit if it turned out to be a waste of time."

Adam frowned "Was it?"

"I honestly do not know what it was; you have to see it for yourself. We are getting close."

Perry pointed to what looked like a ruined doorway, with a barred door that had rusted to nearly unrecognisable levels. Behind it was what looked like a makeshift elevator of some description, lacking in any form of finesse but enough to get the job done.

Adam was about to voice his concerns but his lieutenant cut him off.

"The elevator is still working, and do not ask me how I haven't a clue."

The two stood on the metal panel of the wooden elevator that by all rights should have rotted away long ago if it truly was thousands of years old. The two began their slow descent into the depths.

Perry spoke up "We are not the first to go down here, I sent a squad down three days ago to check out the area. We lost contact by radio however, interference is crazy down here."

Adam's frown grew deeper as his hand reached towards Wilt his fingers ready to draw the chokutō at a moment's notice. Perry rested his hand on a pistol still in its holster too.

The elevator finally stopped and Adam blinked in shock at what he saw, suits of plate armour with tattered blue and red cloaks laid strewn around what could only be described as a massive cell. The cacophony of carnage had clearly happened long ago and yet at the same time the damage looked fresh on the bodies of the dozens of knights that littered the area giving even Adam an eerie feeling. Some had perished crawling on the ground, while others had fallen against walls before dying. Broken swords were scattered across the ground some embedded in their owners, or sitting broken and discarded on the ground. A tattered banner laid to the side the colour long having faded from it, while the heraldry on it was indiscernible.

As Adam scanned the room his eyes picked up among the silver steel of the archaic armours a familiar white hue on several bodies; White Fang members were lying face down on the ground.

Adam bolted over to them, before wordlessly checking the vitals of one shaking his head in remorse when he confirmed what he already knew. They were all dead.

Adam snarled and turned to Perry "Why was no one sent to check on them, and why have they not been buried yet?"

Perry flinched slightly before speaking "Adam we sent these guys down three days ago, and we sent down another team two hours later when they didn't report back. They were found like this."

"And why have they not been buried?"

"Check that one's face," muttered Perry turning away from his leader.

Adam did as he was asked, and turned the body over before he grimaced at what he saw.

Beneath the cracked mask the corpse was desiccated; he could see the bones under the veneer of skin that loosely clung to what remained of the poor wretch's body. If Adam were a man of weaker constitution he would have thrown up, as it was he still felt sick to his stomach. The hair had fallen out from the rabbit faunus' ears, and his eyes were chillingly absent. As Adam studied the body further he noticed a curious knife mark present on the neck of the corpse, quite different from the sword marks across the other dead White Fang members.

Perry spoke up "He was still alive when we found him like that, we put him out of his misery."

No more had to be said on that matter.

"Who did this to them?" asked Adam, laying the corpse gently back across the ground again. He turned to face Perry.

"We don't know."

Adam's nostrils flared, and even from under his mask the glare he was giving could be felt "What do you mean you don't know?"

Perry held his hands up in defence "As I said, we sent down a second team two hours after this one. They were found like this. What was worrying was that this elevator only goes one-way; there is no other way out of this room. Yet when I sent down more men, they found the elevator back at the top again."

The red-haired faunus understood what he meant "Meaning that whatever was down with them took the elevator to the top."

"And left before we even knew it was there yeah," said Perry, crossing his arms and sighing "We found tracks on the way out, but they ran cold after it left the cavern and got into rest of the tunnels leading to Mountain Glenn. We've haven't heard or seen anything since."

Adam took one last look at the dried out corpse with its face etched in an eternal scream before looking up at the ceiling.

What the hell had been let out of this cell?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally posted on Easter so happy belated Easter. Be seeing you all soon.


	4. Chapter 4

The hunger grew more powerful every passing day. Gerhardt knew now that he had made a mistake agreeing to attend this 'Beacon Academy'. His lust for combat was easily kept at bay when he had been in Irithyll; training with the Fire Witches and Pontiff Knights had kept the fire in his blood burning, and when the Pontiff had not been available he was often sent on missions for the Church that were exciting enough. There was always the slaves as well. Spars kept him entertained, but he needed a taste of blood from time to time. He was starved at the moment, and that was not the ring talking for him.

The Outrider narrowed his eyes, trying to follow the handwriting exercise that Professor Port had given him. He found the actual grammar of the language obscenely redundant; there were so many rules that he needed to follow, only for that rule to have a hundred or so exceptions. A week ago he had learned that he had been using commas wrong and had to completely relearn almost everything.

It was enough to make a man sick.

Gerhardt did not need as much sleep as his companions; he needed no rest whatsoever in actuality but it was a small pleasure he afforded himself. Nevertheless he arose early every day to practice writing hours before the others even considered getting up. He was getting better albeit slowly. Most of his notes from the pointless classes he attended were in his native Irithyllian, leading to strange looks from teachers and students alike, but his more recent efforts were in the language of this land.

Soon he would be capable of reading fluently, and then he could search for answers on how to get home. There was very little he could do at the moment other than learn, and learn some more. It was boring, and truly unbefitting of an Outrider Knight. He was built to fight, not to study.

A yawn interrupted his thoughts, and a quick glance confirmed that as usual the Schnee had woken first; the girl was fixated on her academics and reputation, which while admirable in idea proved irritating in practice. Her demanding nature was overbearingly infuriating; who did she think she was? He took orders from only one man.

"Studying as usual I see?" muttered the heiress, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Gerhardt nodded absently, not looking at her. He continued to write, feeling the girl's gaze on his back. She wanted to say something, but she would not as always.

Weiss' mouth opened, before closing again. She scowled and walked into the bathroom intent on getting herself cleaned up for class.

The Knight knew that with Weiss up and about it would not be long before Yang, Blake and Aldrich forbid Ruby awoke too. He had long since grown tired of their attempts to 'include' him. Blake was decent to deal with, since most of the time her attempts at 'bonding' were sitting there, while he studied, reading a book. Yang and Ruby favoured a more forward approach; they tried to take him on 'adventures'. The Outrider felt petty, but he had absolutely no interest in doing anything of the sort; no matter how strongly he rebuffed them Ruby, and therefore Yang, tried again the next day.

He was pre-emptively cutting their daily attempt short.

Gerhardt closed his exercise book, and neatly deposited the pen into the rungs of the book. He was more used to quills, but this 'pen' was a truly interesting thing. He had never seen one in Lothric, as far as he could recall, but it made life so much easier. He did not need to keep an inkwell with him at all times; helpful when he spent such a large amount of his day writing. He would have to tell his master of the wonders of the invention when he return to his beloved Irithyll.

The Outrider tied a red piece of cloth round his throat, and brought it over the lower half of his face. He quietly left the room, and made his way towards the dining hall. He was hungry, and the canteen did seem to serve passable food. It was important to break his fast; Gerhardt knew today was to be combat class, a hungry Outrider during combat could give in to their more 'savage' appetites. He would rather not face backlash for taking a chunk out of a student during a spar.

It was not long before he had gotten a few sides of bacon, an egg and some bread. It was not much for one with as large an appetite as him, but it would suffice for now. Pulling his cloth covering down, he dug in.

As the Outrider chewed idly on his food, he felt the table shift slightly and sighed. Someone had decided to sit with him. He looked up to face a shy looking girl with brown hair, and perhaps more strikingly rabbit ears. Two weeks ago he would have been shocked to see something like this, but as with many things at this school he had come to accept it. Faunus they called them, humans with animal traits. This was not exactly a radical concept to a being like him, in concept the faunus and he were not so different, but it was still surprising considering how widespread they were. They even possessed an island all to themselves.

Gerhardt couldn't say he recognised the one that sat across from him; she was the second one however he had seen up close, the first being the Belladonna girl, like all faunus she had the distinctive scent. It had traces of animal in it, but also was overbearingly human. He was not so sure that they were a different race as he had been told, more a subspecies in his opinion.

The little stand-off continued for some time, Gerhardt was content to keep eating at first but the girl seemed to be going nowhere. He knew that she would continue to sit there until he made conversation.

Gerhardt finished chewing "Speak then, I do not like company while eating."

The faunus blinked in surprise and nodded like a frightened child "Sorry to disturb you I am Velvet Scarlatina."

The Outrider blinked.

"I was just a bit curious. Can I ask you a question?"

"You may," murmured Gerhardt, still focused on his meal.

Velvet nodded "What type of Faunus are you? You do not have any faunus ears, and I have never seen a tail on you."

Gerhardt stared at the girl in shock, she had been watching him. Why? What did she want?

The Outrider carefully chose his words "I am no faunus, I am human same as most of the people here."

"No you're not."

He frowned "And what makes you say that?"

"The way you carry yourself, the way you smell, and your teeth," noted Velvet, listing out these features on her hand. After noticing how forward she was being she shrunk back and her ears curled slightly.

The Outrider swore to himself, the way he carried himself and smell could be explained away but he had been trying so hard to hide his teeth from sight. He always chewed with his mouth closed, and tried to keep his teeth from view when speaking. The scarf helped with that, or it should have. The refutation of that argument sat in front of him in the form of the faunus girl.

Velvet worked up more courage and continued "No human has teeth like that, and most faunus do not either. And rabbit faunus have a great sense of smell, and you do not have a scent like a human. So you must be a rare type of faunus?"

Gerhardt instinctually bared his teeth, showing the impossible sharpness of them fit to rend through flesh with ease. They served a purpose in combat, like all of his body potentially could if it came down to it. They were however quite inhuman, and the biggest sign of the beast-hood that lurked within him

"What does it matter to you?" said Gerhardt; he was displeased by this conversation. He could just say he was a faunus, but that would entail a large amount of other problems; he had next to no clue as to how faunus society worked. He knew the essentials of how they worked and that was all. Actually blending in with them would be difficult.

Velvet went red in the face from clear embarrassment "Well, you see I got sick a lot last year and could not get to class a lot. When it came to end of year exams I failed most of them, and I had to repeat the year."

Gerhardt did not see how this related to him, and made it known to her with an eyebrow arching.

Velvet's ears curled again and she held up her hands a blush on her face "Let me finish. Anyways my team did pass their exams but I couldn't go with them. So I got stuck here with the first years, and without a team. I decided that I should get to know you considering our circumstances…"

Gerhardt still couldn't see how this related to him whatsoever.

"Did you not check your scroll this morning?" asked Velvet, eyes widening in realisation.

Ah. That thing. Gerhardt had yet to figure out how to work the infernal device. It would not pick up his inputs when he wore gloves, and the claws on his hands did not let him touch the screen without scratching the glass of it beyond repair. Of course he could not tell Ozpin that.

"The Headmaster says that because we both do not really have a team, we will be forming as a pair for the rest of the school year," finished Velvet lamely, she suddenly found her lap more interesting "and I thought I should get to know you because you are my new partner."

The Knight stared in silence for a moment. This weakling who barely had the backbone to talk to him in conversation without looking past him or at the ceiling; who had been staring at him eating to see what kind of person he was; who had the gall to come up and question his story but at the same time lacked the intelligence to put two and two together to understand he had no interest in the conversation was to be his partner. Outstanding.

He finished his last strip of bacon before getting up; Gerhardt looked at Velvet "I look forward to working with you."

He then swiftly made his way to combat class which he knew would be at this point a cathartic experience.

* * *

"Miss Nikos against Gerhardt," shouted Glynda, beckoning for the two to come down into the ring. She was going to keep a close eye on this one, the outsider was a wild card and Ozpin knew it; Glynda was aware that even watching how he fought could give great insight into what made the boy tic.

Gerhardt perked up finishing the sentence he was writing, and could not hold back his smile handily covered by the cloth over his face. It would be such an interesting experience to fight that girl again, she had a developed fighting style and a varied move set. He had seen her fight in the various combat classes he had been in since coming here, but never had he an opportunity to fight her or anyone else for that matter. Pyrrha Nikos was, as of yet, undefeated in the ring. He would change that.

He quickly donned his helmet, and walked down to the ring. It was cold but comfortable to him, a welcome change to that scarf he was forced to wear. The school had been quite insistent that he could not go round in his full armour. He had skirted around the rules somewhat, after all his armour was not easy to pull off. The gauntlets, helmet and leggings were fine but the actual chest piece was not. He simply wore it under his uniform instead; after all when the biting chill of the Boreal Valley ran through your veins overheating was not an issue, although it took effort to not rip his uniform when pulling off such a feat. On days like this where he could wear most of his armour unrestricted because of combat classes he felt so much more comfortable.

Gerhardt leapt into the ring, rising slowly and glancing over his opponent. He had to respect her prowess, as far as he could tell her 'semblance' as they called it was not directly offensive. Nevertheless the girl breathed aggression and calculation in a fight, it was a treat to watch and would be even better to experience.

He gave Pyrrha a brief bow which she returned in kind, before drawing his blade and gripping it in a loose and relaxed state. She was a spear user, so the most important thing in the fight was for him to not allow her to keep him at range. Otherwise he would certainly lose.

"Begin," called Ms Goodwitch, clapping her hands as a signal to the match starting.

Gerhardt immediately closed the gap running with a burst of speed towards the Spartan, he slid just as he was about to come into contact with the tip of the spear aiming instead to slice at Pyrrha's ankles.

She gracefully evaded instead flipping over the grounded knight hoping instead to plunge the spear into him, which would certainly damage Gerhardt's aura as far as she knew. Pyrrha came down hard and fast, but stopped suddenly. She blinked as her opponent gripped the tip of Miló; in an impossible show of strength, he started to get to his feet while holding the spear back with his armoured gauntlet.

Not willing to let him off that easily Pyrrha instead used Akoúo̱ to bash the Knight in the face allowing her out of the situation, while he stumbled in shock from the blow. As the Mistralian tried to capitalise on her initiative she was forced back by Gerhardt shoulder bashing her shield in such a vicious manner than she nearly had her guard instantly broken; she hopped backwards and out of the situation to reassess her strategy.

Gerhardt let out a huff of exertion, before straightening again and circling his opponent. He had been a tad overconfident in that sliding attack, he had failed to realise how quickly she would capitalise on any mistake on his part. That was the mark of a good fighter however, and it only made him more excited to be fighting her. Gerhardt knew that getting past her shield was going to be difficult considering her impressive mobility; perhaps breaking her guard was the smarter option to getting past it in this instance. He ran his hands over his blade willing it into its great-sword form.

Glynda watched silently as the match continued. Gerhardt was an impressive fighter that much was true, but it was the way his aura worked that fascinated both her and the headmaster. She had at first thought he had none, but it soon became apparent that this was not the case. His was completely alien in feel to any she had ever encountered. It rarely formed a protective barrier around him instead lending itself to amplify whatever actions he was making. Whenever Gerhardt wanted to go faster, his odd aura seemed to propel him to do so; whenever Gerhardt wanted to hit harder his aura seemed to lend extra weight to his blows. It only ever coalesced to protect him whenever he used that strange chime of his or whenever he had been hit with an extremely hard blow. When Qrow arrived they would have to discuss it amongst themselves to ascertain what exactly he was doing. Using aura to increase one's power was not a foreign idea, every huntsman or huntress worth their salt could do it, but the extent to which Gerhardt did so was not normally possible.

Pyrrha brought her shield up in vain as the great-sword merely forced it to the side with a powerful strike, before she could get out of the situation Gerhardt reached towards her with his left hand intent on grabbing her and throwing her. She subtly used her semblance to move his hand just shy of its target and, taking advantage of his shock, leveraged herself off of his arm and kicked him straight in the helmet again sending the Frost Knight backwards. For extra measure she swapped Miló to its rifle form and shot twice into the Knight's chest. While the bullets did not penetrate it clearly winded him as he fell to his knees and used his left hand to prop himself up.

Gerhardt snarled in frustration, again she pulled that ability out to stop him doing any damage. She could redirect his attacks, he knew that now that he had seen her fight others and had fought her once. He just did not know how to get around it. He appreciated that she struggled to use the power to its full ability whenever she was on the defence but the Spartan could still use it enough to ruin any of his attacks. And that rifle. Guns were such an unfair advantage in this world! Yet another invention the Pontiff would find a use for surely.

As he raised his head to face Pyrrha he met Miló head on. His head snapped back in shock from the javelin thrusting directly into his helmet. Gerhardt fell to the floor with a slam, and Pyrrha positioned herself over his throat.

The Champion was confident now; she had him where she needed him to be. He could not push up into her spear as that would drain his aura, and would certainly kill him if he persevered still in an actual fight. He couldn't grab at her javelin this time to force Pyrrha off of him. He was finished.

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes as the Frost Knight's helmet began to glow slightly, and the holes she assumed were for breathing began to dimly fill with a blue light. She realised what was happening and dodged nimbly avoiding being struck by the beam of ice that jettisoned itself from her opponent who quickly climbed to his feet. As Pyrrha recovered she blinked as Gerhardt's hand suddenly blazed a red-hot colour and impacted the ground with a tremendous crack.

The area under her felt hot and Pyrrha again jumped back just in time as a geyser of flame erupted from where she had been standing. She was amazed by the versatility of his semblance; ice and fire were potent on their own, she had no idea that he could use them together.

Gerhardt smirked under his mask; very few had ever forced him to require the use of his non-physical abilities. The natural frost of the Boreal Valley complemented well with the Profaned Flame of Yhorm's forsaken Capital. The ability to use both of these elements was what set him apart from his brethren, what he lacked in physical strength he made up for in versatility. Of course that was not all he was capable of, but this would be more than enough to deal with his adversary.

The Outrider wreathed his blue blade in fire, watching it warp into a more scorched and blackened weapon before leaping towards Pyrrha and slamming the blade against her shield. Her defence stood true, but it would only spell disaster this time.

Akoúo̱ held off the flaming sword, but Pyrrha gasped as her shield began to glow orange from the heat coursing through it, feeling the burning warmth tearing at her aura she quickly led Gerhardt to the side with the shield before kicking him away. She discarded her protection, and turned to face her opponent only to realise her kick had done little to dislodge him this time. He was much closer than she had expected.

Gerhardt grabbed Pyrrha and lifted her into the air, and before she could even think to use her semblance to loosen his metal grip, he coursed the Profaned Flame, as gently as he could, through his hand incinerating the girl's aura. Pyrrha struggled futilely, but eventually went limp and watched in awe as her aura went from a sturdy ninety percent to a sickly ten percent in seconds. Gerhardt's had been dragged down to sixty-five before he had caught her in that move.

"That's enough," called Glynda, bringing an end to the match. Ironwood would be especially interested in the power of this semblance.

Gerhardt nodded and dropped the girl, who to her credit still managed to land on her feet. There was a deafening silence in the room. The fact that 'Invincible Girl' had been beaten was a tough pill to swallow. Even Ruby always quick to get a word in was shocked at the display.

As Glynda dismissed the class she took a look towards Gerhardt's aura bar and blinked in shock; his aura had climbed back to one hundred percent before he left the room.

She was very much certain, Ironwood would definitely have a great interest in how this aura worked. Where did this boy come from?

* * *

"Another," beckoned the caped man, finishing his glass of whiskey and settling it on the wooden table. He lazily crossed his arms and laid upon them, like a makeshift pillow.

A bearded man sighed and walked over with another glass, swiping the finished one and replacing it. He wiped over the table slightly before sighing at the sight of the man. He had come in at two O'clock, and it was now six; his customer had not once stopped drinking. It was a miracle that his liver had not kicked the bucket.

The tavern owner spoke up in a jovial manner, but with a no-nonsense undertone "I don't suppose you've thought of calling it quits yet? I would rather not have you die, it's bad for business. Besides it wouldn't be that heroic of Braedon's saviour to perish from alcohol poisoning."

Qrow looked up with a lazy smirk on his face "Can't say I've met many barkeeps who complain about their customer drinking too much."

"I own a tavern, not a bar. I doubt very much that any sensible barkeep would even entertain the idea of letting a man drink whiskey straight for three hours," said the man, scratching his beard in a thoughtful manner.

"You haven't said anything till now," countered Qrow sitting up and taking a sip of his glass.

The tavernkeep let out a jolly laugh "Never said I was sensible."

The bearded man turned over his shoulder spying a small figure trying to sneak by unnoticed "Mary, I am glad to see you've come to help your old man, would you go get some logs from out back the fire is fading."

The bright haired girl stomped her feet and muttered to herself darkly before nodding and wandering out to gather fuel for the fire.

The man smirked slightly as he turned back to face Qrow "She's got her mother's eyes, and looks, but it took until now for me to realise she got my stubbornness. Who knew raising a seven year-old could be this hard, I thought it got easier the older they got?"

Qrow smiled, and leaned back in his chair lazily. He was not exactly a man who was fond of restraint, but maybe there was some merit in what the guy was saying. It wouldn't be good to be so drunk he could barely stand, that happened too much these days. Besides he did not want to make a fool of himself in front of a kid that age.

He was still on mission technically, but he had been keeping his ear to the ground. This place was interesting to say the least; Qrow had not planned to stay here for a prolonged period of time but the rumours were too interesting to pass up. They said a human shaped grimm was roaming in the forests around the town.

At first Qrow had thought it was just a beringel, the ape-like grimm had a habit of wandering around on two legs; from a distance a beringel could easily be mistaken for a human. Maybe he had a bleeding heart, but after hearing the town's fears he had stayed for a few days and made a few trips into the forest. He had cleared out the scarce grimm that were unfortunate enough to call the woods their home; in general the grime were sparse this close to Vale, especially considering the closeness of the village to the city. Hunters were a dime a dozen around these parts.

He never saw the human grimm the town had complained of. He did however find one of those bipedal beowolves, an almost-alpha covered in scars and armour. The beast had preferred to remain upright compared with its four-legged brethren. It was an experienced creature, probably had lived for over a decade, but he dealt with it easily. Sure enough in the three days he had spent here since killing the beast, there had not been another sighting of the human grimm and the sleepy village of Braedon was back to normal. He also got free whiskey from the barkeep which was a good thing.

"To be honest Raymond I think it's time I hit the road, as much as I would like to drink all your whiskey I do have a job unfortunately," sighed Qrow finishing off the rest of his glass before standing up and dusting himself off.

"I'll be sad to see you go, you've done right by us you know?" said Raymond, having returned to behind the bar to continue polishing the glasses Qrow had left behind.

Qrow gave a mocking bow and a roguish smirk "You've been gracious hosts, complaining about how much I drink and pestering me to pack it in."

The older man shook his head smiling "Maybe I won't be all that sad after all."

The hunter gave a wave and stuck his hands in his pockets walking out the door; he would have to keep a brisk pace if he wanted to get back on track, so he would have to make use of his other abilities. As he made his way onto the street he gave a wave to Mary, who was struggling to gather the kindling into a bundle. She looked up and grinned slightly.

"Bye Mister Qrow!" she called, putting down the sticks so she could wave back to him.

The man went around a corner, and out of sight leaving Mary alone with a pile of kindling that was everywhere. The girl pouted and crossed her arms, why did her dad always make her get the wood? Besides the fact that it took forever to get all the kindling gathered up, it also was pointless considering the tavern never got any customers during the weekdays like ever; Mister Qrow had been the first customer she had ever seen come in during the week.

She could hear the singing and playing of the others kids near the fountain, and here she was stuck bundling kindling. Worse yet her dad was sure to have her do another chore before she got to go play with the others. Being a kid was hard.

The door to the tavern closed suddenly, and in her shock her grip loosened. She nearly screamed as the sticks she had been gathering came undone again spilling to the ground in a jumbled mess. As she sighed, she began to rub her arms. It was getting really cold all of a sudden, and she swore she had just seen a figure just enter the tavern. Her dad would kill her if she did not speed up.

Mary finally tied the rope around the kindling tightly, and with an experimental tug she confirmed it would not unfurl. She smiled, but her brow furrowed as she looked at the sun burning brightly in the sky. It was a warm evening, so the sudden chilliness struck her as strange. There was no breeze, and not that many clouds in the sky. It was not raining either. Mary decided she just wanted back inside and, for once, to sit near the fire. Maybe she would skip out on seeing her friends for today if it was going to stay like this.

As the girl pushed open the door, she grew even more confused. It was even colder inside the building. She did not question it, instead deciding to wander over to the fire and dump the kindling straight in. Her dad would normally scold her for wasting so much wood, but it was so cold. The fire began to crackle and burn more brightly as it consumed the wood. Yet the chill present in the air abated none.

The little girl perked up as she heard a muffled crash, and sighed in frustration. Her dad was such a klutz; he probably spilled the cups again. How a guy that inept own a business was a mystery to her, and had been to her mother before she passed. Mary wanted to go scold him over it, but decided she would let it go instead trying to nestle closer to the fleeting heat of the fire.

As she began to rub her hands together to get more comfortable, she heard the unmistakable creak of the door to the kitchen opening. Her dad was a bit of cheapskate so after he found out that a simple oiling could not fix the sound, he decided that the creak was a sign of 'character' and kept it.

"Spilled more cups did you dad?" teased Mary turning to face him, a cheeky grin plastered on her face.

That smile on her face left as quickly as it came, as she saw her father crumple to the ground in a heap. She ran to him in shock only to back away in fear from the state of his face. The decayed and haunted expression was unnatural, as the skin barely clung to his bones while his empty sockets gazed at her without focus.

"D-daddy!" screamed Mary, trying to shake him without success "What's wrong!"

She thought hard before deciding what to do. He must be sick. She just had to go see the town doctor, and then he would be fine. The doctor was just down the road; it wouldn't be hard. Mary knew she had to be brave.

As the girl made to leave she gasped as a figure followed her dad out of the doorway. Standing inhumanly tall it gazed down at her with an indiscernible expression hidden in behind the clothing it wore. The being gripped a strange sword loosely in one of its gaunt hands, while a strange glow emanated from the other. Clad in armour that seemed fashioned from bones, and cover in a strange feathered hood around its skeletal head; this thing met every description of a monster in a fable.

The chill of the room became unbearable, as every fibre of Mary's being screamed at her to run. The creature let out a rasping snarl, while a black substance dripped from behind the teeth in its mask. It advanced towards her.

The girl couldn't think properly, and ran past it upstairs to her room. She nearly dived under her bed curling into a ball, sobbing quietly in fear. The metal clunking was deafening as she heard the creature sprint up the staircase after her. She shut her mouth and kept as quiet as possible.

She saw the feet of the thing enter the room, while she listened to the groans and growls of the creature searching for her. It stalked the room, ripping in to her chest of drawers as well as the wardrobe in a horrible anger. The creature's sword slashed at her curtains, and smashed at her mirror as it ran across the room in a frenzy. It seemed more beast than man no matter how human its shape was.

Suddenly as quickly as it had begun, the creature stopped its attack. It stood dead still, loosely gripping its sword while scanning the room. For one tense moment Mary felt it staring at her direction, and she gripped herself tighter for comfort as she waited for the thing to come to get her.

It left, suddenly storming out of the room into the next where she could hear more smashing and snapping as the thing tore through the other rooms looking for her. She kept mum, instead closing her eyes and waiting. The tempest of sound from the other rooms was calming slightly as she could hear the creature audibly giving up.

Mary let out a sigh of relief and opened her eyes.

A skeletal face peered back at her, kneeling on the floor to see the girl under the bed. The inhuman mask seemed to be smiling in delight, as the black material seemed to flow from its mouth like a starved dog. Its hand glowed with an impossibly bright light as the monster reached towards her.

Mary screamed.

And then there was silence.

Once the creature was done he let go of the limp little thing watching with disinterest as her body collapsed lifelessly to the floor. He had been starved too long in that wretched dungeon, to be able to feast after eons of enduring a famine was a dream come true.

Laughter emanated from the fountain, and the creature peered out the window to see dozens of children playing near the fountain while their parents kept a watchful eye on them.

The creature giggled softly, a grating and unnatural sound. This little town had seen its last sunrise.

A Darkwraith was on the prowl, and he was oh so very hungry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter became a lot longer than I was expecting, but no matter I hope it turned out all right. Anyways I will be seeing you all soon, until next time.


	5. Chapter 5

Velvet was stumped. Coco and the rest of her team really did not know what to think of her new Partner. Coco tried teasing him, while Yatsu and Fox preferred to try and frighten the aloof student. None of it worked, he just stared blankly at them and went back to writing or eating. That was all Gerhardt ever seemed to do, she saw him eating in the dining hall during breakfast, lunch and dinner but any other time he was writing in his book. Ruby and Yang hung around him sometimes, but that never really worked out and the crimson girl always left looking disappointed. Yang just looked enraged. The faunus couldn't blame her.

It was not all that bad, he had moved into their shared room without hassle. He kept his side of the room meticulously clean; he did his homework punctually and even agreed from time to time to aid her with problems in her own exercises from the teachers. He reserved a seat for her so that she could sit beside him when they were eating, and at dinner he seemed perfectly content to wait until she was done before they went anywhere.

He liked to fight as well. She could spy the feral grin on his face when they had combat classes. The Knight had become a lot more pleasant to be around after spending time with him, she now understood some of his quirks. He was hard to deal with at first, but once you got to know how he worked he was not that bad. She knew if she said that to anyone else they would look at her like she had lost the ears on her head.

Case in point, she had actually managed to convince him to come into Vale with her on their day off. She planned to shop and generally relax, and the rest of her team were stuck in yet another mission so Gerhardt was all she had for company. Velvet knew this needed to perfect, or else she would never be able to get her partner to leave Beacon's grounds again. It had been near a month since they had been partnered up by the Headmaster, and this was the first time she had managed to get him to do anything like this.

Gerhardt gazed in wonder at his surroundings, before turning to his new partner his voice muffled by his scarf "You promised we would visit a bookstore?"

Ah that was the other thing about him, while he still wrote constantly for practice it seemed that he was confident enough to read now. She had accompanied him to the library on one of their days off two weeks ago, and had spent six hour there as he looked through book after book. He seemed to be unable to find what he wanted, which put him in a foul mood for the rest of the day. When she told him about a small bookstore that she liked run by a friendly faunus named Tukson, he seemed to be interested. Thus their agreement had come to be; they would go to the bookstore at the start and then the rest of the day he would tag along with her. He had called the deal 'acceptable'. That was pretty much the greatest vote of confidence in her social skills that she had ever gotten, Coco would be proud when she heard.

"Yeah we are almost there just around the corne-" began Velvet, before gasping as she saw the policemen and yellow tape standing near the entrance of the quaint little shop. She ran towards it, her partner following her swiftly.

"Hey back up miss," warned a policeman placing his hand in front of the tape "there's been an accident here."

"Is the shop closed?" asked Velvet, a bit worried for both Tukson and herself if she did not get her partner inside this shop.

"For now miss, you and your friend will have to come back another time," answered the officer, gesturing at them to leave.

Gerhardt growled softly, before shaking his head in frustration. Such was the luck he had been having ever since he had come to this world. Fate was a cruel mistress it would seem.

"Velvet," murmured Gerhardt, grabbing his partner by the shoulder "perhaps we can see to the shopping you wanted to do and come back later?

The faunus nodded slowly shaking her head of doubt, Tukson probably fell when he was stacking some books or something. That could injure even a sturdy man like him, all it took was for someone to think the worst from the crash to call the police and that explained the presence of the officer. A small voice gnawed at the back of her head informing her that there was not a chance that this was what had happened, but she ignored it.

Velvet led the way, and beckoned for her partner to follow. He was in a strange get-up, wearing his full armour save for that red scarf he now seemed to be surgically attached to. He rarely took it off when he could not wear his helmet, which she had to heatedly tell him was not appropriate in public, leading to many weird looks from teachers, students and citizens in general. He really needed some form of casual clothing, but unfortunately Coco was not around to help her with that; nevertheless she was going to have to get him something more appropriate to wear in the future.

Velvet smiled, there it was. The clothes shop Coco was so fond of; Velvet herself was not averse to fashion so she knew her friend was right to like this place. It had everything a girl or guy could want. Plus they had clothes tailored for faunus which was a big plus for Velvet, while she lacked the tail problems of some of her brethren they did do hats which could fit around her ears; if she ever had the fancy to wear a hat then she knew where to come.

As they entered Gerhardt was taken back by the size of the place. It was amazing to think that so many types of dress existed in this world, very little variation in fashion existed amongst the citizenry of Irithyll. Deacons wore the same robes in general, with some colour difference to notify others of their rank in the church. Pontiff Knights and Fire Witches wore a standardised form of armour, and even Outriders had typical armour sets. That being said both he, Vordt and the Dancer had eschewed this typical design for a modified form better suited to their bodies. He did not even have casual clothing. All he had ever worn was his armour.

"Come on there is a hunter section over here," called Velvet pulling Gerhardt along with her in a hurry to the other side of the store. Something had already caught her eye.

Velvet came to a stop and looked at her companion "I am going to go try on somethings for a while, will you be alright by yourself? You won't wreck anything will you?"

Gerhardt waved her off "Go, I will wait until you are done but be quick about it, I do not want to tarry here long."

A man in plate armour alone, hunting for clothes? This was a laughable situation for any knight never mind the likes of him. Fashion was not exactly the top concern for a warrior, but then again the Pontiff had always put stock in being well presented.

Gerhardt sighed and looked around to see if anything could interest him, just as he was about to resign himself to doing nothing while waiting for Velvet he caught sight of a word that very much interested him.

Capes.

Gerhardt made his way over, he was curious as to what he could find; his armour was pristine, but the additions to it had become sullied when he had spent that week in the wretched forest. His cape had become tattered beyond all repair, and the plume of his helmet was in a similar sorry state. He had stopped wearing them, but he missed it in a way. He was used to wearing a cape during combat, suicidal to most considering the tripping hazard it could pose, but he had found uses for it; it was thickly woven and proved more than enough to stop an arrow or two from getting through the weaker areas of his armour along his back. The plume was purely decorative, but he liked it so that was all that there was to it.

He was not impressed by what he saw; mostly frilly designs clearly all too focused on the aesthetic of the piece rather than any practicality in combat. They all seemed similar to Ruby's in that they were to worn over something, rather than attached to armour. He checked to make sure that he was still in the hunter section of the store before sighing as he confirmed he was.

A shade of dark blue caught his eye and he smiled slightly as he saw the cape before him. He reached out to grab it, bringing it closer for inspection.

The cape was a beautiful shade of dark blue that reminded him of the cold of his native Irithyll, and it looked far sturdier than the cloth pieces surrounding it. The piece also seemed to be capable of being clipped on to armour, something that none of the other cloaks and capes could boast. It even possessed a hood, not that he would need it but perhaps that could prove useful when he was not allowed to wear his armour? The cape just screamed of home.

He wanted this cape that much was certain, and he wanted it now. His eyes burned with a rarely felt excitement, and he rushed to where he was sure you paid for the clothing. The clerk seemed a bit taken back by the steel-clad man rushing towards him holding a cape, but quickly calmed as the clothing was placed on the counter.

"How much?" rasped Gerhardt, grabbing the pouch where he kept the money the Headmaster had given him. He pushed it towards the worker.

"Two hundred," sputtered the man, before grabbing the pouch and emptying it to the table. He could tell just looking at it that there was far more than two hundred lien sitting on the counter.

The Irithyllian nodded swiftly "Are we done then?"

Gerhardt's hand already made towards the cloak.

"Well yeah you can take it now, but we can do decorations on it as well if you want?"

The clerk could almost swear the armoured man's eyes glowed as he leaned uncomfortably close across the counter.

"What kind of decorations?"

Velvet came back to find a strange sight, with Gerhardt animatedly insulting a poor clerk who was trying to draw something on the back of a blue cape. It had been a while since she had seen her partner so riled up. What was all the commotion about?

As she drew closer she began to hear the content of the conversation Gerhardt was having.

"No! Not like that you fool! How hard can it be to draw the crest? Three candles and a crest! Like this!"

Gerhardt's hand suddenly caught alight and a flaming image of a crest with three candles attached to it came to life burning with furore. It had a distinctly superfluous design, a clear indication that this was a symbol of great decorative value to her partner.

Suddenly the clerk made a breakthrough, and after washing the dust infused dye from the back of the cloak again and re-inscribing the image onto the cape he presented to piece of clothing to Gerhardt who appraised it carefully. After a quiet moment, and much sweating from the poor man who had slaved to get the design exactly right, Gerhardt nodded slowly before grabbing the cloak and pushing money into the man's hand. Far more than was needed to pay for the item but he cared little. He had what he wanted.

Gerhardt turned to face Velvet who had a small smile on her face; he looked her over to see any changes. She still had the same clothes on, but the large bag she was carrying seemed to indicate she had bought some things.

"Do you want help putting that on?" asked Velvet, as the two made their way out of the shop. She guessed he could do it himself, but it looked as hard as fitting a square peg into a round hole in her opinion.

The Outrider blinked, he had never had anyone offer to do that for him. He agreed with a gruff grunt of approval turning to face his back to Velvet, who began to clip the cape to the Knight's armour.

As she hummed getting the cape to properly fit on her partner's armour she heard a cough from him as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Blue."

Velvet furrowed her brows "What?"

"You are always asking to know more about me; my favourite colour is blue," clarified Gerhardt with a curious look in his eyes.

The faunus smiled brightly "I am more of a brown and red person, but blue is nice too."

An audible clip was heard, and Velvet stepped back to admire her work. She did quite well for herself it would seem. The cape was firmly attached, and to be honest she now appreciated why her partner liked the cloth so much. His armour seemed incomplete without it now.

"What shall we do now then?" asked Gerhardt, appreciating the cape and turning to face Velvet once again. To her surprise, he took off his scarf, tying it to his armoured wrist before pulling the hood of the cape over his head.

"I don't know. We could watch a movie or something?" suggested Velvet, ears curled in embarrassment. She had not thought this far ahead truthfully.

"What is a movie?"

Ah that's right; Velvet just now remembered how backward her partner was. This would be good.

* * *

"That was astounding!" cried Gerhardt after leaving the theatre, causing Velvet to roll her eyes slightly. He was scary sometimes but at the moment he seemed like a big child.

The Knight turned to Velvet with wide eyes and a genuine smile "We must watch more of these 'movies' sometime."

With the excitable attitude Velvet was beginning to lean towards a wolf faunus for the species of her new friend, although he still seemed to be something different. Perhaps a crossbreed? She didn't know, but finally she could say she was beginning to truly 'get' him.

"I'm sure we can if you want, but they are expensive you know?" smiled Velvet, shaking her head slightly. She could not wait to show Coco and her team this side of Gerhardt, they would certainly get on then.

A large stomping interrupted her thoughts, and judging from Gerhardt's frown he heard it too. Her hearing was good, but she did not need superhuman senses to hear that sound. Whatever it was, it was close. She could hear the engine of what sounded like a motorbike. Had hell had broken loose in downtown Vale?

Suddenly a massive metal figure stampeded past them onto the motorways of Vale, chasing a blonde haired boy and a black haired girl. Velvet recognised Blake and Sun just from their outlines, and she knew what that metal thing was.

That was an Atlesian Paladin. A member of the 290 series to be exact, it looked exactly like the one General Ironwood had showed off a while ago. Velvet had a million questions to ask, such as why it was chasing Blake and Sun but that would have to wait. Besides judging from the destruction it was causing following its targets, she doubted that it was engaging in any legitimate operation.

Gerhardt grabbed his helmet, which hung loosely to his side, clipped to the armour, and placed it on his head. Velvet could not see the look that he was giving her, but she knew what it was anyways.

Velvet smiled slightly "Let's go get them."

The Outrider needed no more incentive, and began sprinting after the machine making its way down after the two unfortunate Faunus. He leapt onto a car and began to use them as spring boards to keep up with the rampaging robot, seeing Velvet do the same. He was not nearly fast enough to keep up with his prey in a sprint, but he would not need to.

Nevertheless they were quite far away from the machine, and he could barely see what was going on. Velvet seemed to be having a similar struggle leaping from car to car trying to stay close to Gerhardt. If they could barely keep pace with each other what chance did they have of catching up?

As if the heavens recognised their struggle at that very moment the robot tumbled off the motorway, slipping on a sheet of ice Gerhardt could just about see. Velvet took the initiative picking up the pace and using her aura to boost her speed; before long she had reached the hole the robot had made in the sides of the motorway and jumped downwards leaving Gerhardt to catch up.

Velvet landed gracefully beside Team RWBY who seemed surprised by her appearance, but grateful. The Atlesian Paladin began to slowly climb to its feet, looking a bit worse for wear but still functional. The whirr of the cannons and beeping of its sensors said as much.

"Need any help guys?" asked Velvet, she had not expected to be fighting a giant combat mech today, but there was a first time for everything as they said.

Ruby smiled cheekily "If you're up to it yeah. Where's Gerhardt?"

"Oh he's dropping in I imagine."

The Paladin stumbled from a smaller metal figure crashing into the top of it halberd in hand firmly thrusting it into a gap in the armour of the technological titan. Inside Torchwick could not help but complain to himself about the ridiculous amount of huntsman and huntresses in training that seemed to show up when he was doing things. Red and her little group of friends had ruined his last heist, and interrupted his transport of dust only a week previously never mind that red-haired freak that tore apart three of his bullheads. And now there was this. What was going on with his luck?

Gerhardt has no clue how to fight his opponent, so he would rely upon the tried and tested tactic that had proved itself in battle after battle, hitting the target until it stopped moving. It was a simple but effective strategy. As he wrenched his halberd out of the robot and made to stab it again he felt himself grabbed and struggled helplessly as the metallic hand began to crush him. He felt the Deep rushing to protect him from the worst of the damage, and the pilot of the automaton seemed to recognise this; instead of continuing to squeeze him Gerhardt was instead thrown into a nearby pillar. He groaned in pain before helplessly collapsing into a heap.

Yang whistled slightly "Wow I don't think I've ever seen him take a beating like that before, we best help him. Rubes?"

The red-haired girl nodded with grim determination "Freezerburn!"

The team jumped into action, with Blake and Ruby pulling back. Weiss channelled the ice dust present in Myrtenaster creating a sheet of frost that glazed the ground. Yang then jumped into the air before slamming into the ground with Ember Celica kicking a miasma of obscuring ice into the air blocking the Paladin from seeing the team.

The sensors of the Paladin came burning to life, as the red beams pierced the fog in an attempt to locate the huntresses. Torchwick sighed in frustration; today was just going from bad to worse. He warmed up the cannons, powered by the finest quality dust that the Atlesian Army could afford. The heat of the weapons began to melt the ice around him, causing steam to cover the mech.

A flash of yellow went past the sensors, and Torchwick fired sending three rapid shots at his target evaporating the ground where she had been. However despite his quick actions, the girl had gotten away. He turned to see a faint hint of black hair and repeated his actions opening fire at where the faunus had just been to similar results. Roman thought for a moment, before realising their gambit. They were circling him. He smirked to himself.

The criminal fired directly in front of him his smirk transforming into a full-blown grin as he saw both the blondie and the faunus go flying from the explosion. He really enjoyed this thing.

Suddenly a hail of bullets began to strike the cockpit, and the criminal willed the arms of the machine to protect him from the incoming munitions. His sensors told him what was happening, that rabbit faunus was pelting him with some kind of holographic mini-gun. He really wanted to know how that worked, if he got the chance he would have to ask. As she stopped firing, either to reload or realising that she was doing very little in actual damage, Roman made to return the favour aiming the cannon at her. His shot rang true striking the faunus and sending her flying. He charged the cannon for a second finishing shot.

Just as he was about to fire a red flash struck his cockpit, and the Paladin stumbled back as a determined Ruby Rose slashed at it again before jumping to the ground to face the machine.

"Checkmate!" called Ruby, as Weiss and Blake jumped into the fray.

The faunus and Schnee focused on the legs of the mech, striking with lightning speed to wear it down. As the machine turned its attention to them directing its sensors to aid it in targeting the girls, Weiss jumped into the air stabbing her rapier into the main sensors of the machine. She could tell from the slight stumble and erratic movements that she had blinded the mech; it would seem that paying attention to father about the Schnee Corporation's newest robots had paid off.

In a fit of fury Roman made to stomp on the faunus who remained in his sights, the Paladin's leg raising to squash Blake beneath its armoured foot. However with the timely intervention of Weiss, and a haste glyph, the black-haired girl quickly pulled back leading to the robot stomping on nothing. Roman growled in frustration. Today really was a one of those days.

Two ports on the machine opened, and missiles shot out of them speeding towards the two girls at high speeds. They dodged quickly, just evading the explosions caused by the rockets but Roman was not done yet launching another barrage at Weiss and Blake. As the white haired girl launched herself into the air to evade the second barrage, Roman took advantage of Weiss' vulnerability and fired the cannons of the Paladin at her striking her directly in the chest.

As Weiss felt the shock of the cannon and burning pain of the strike, she realised Blake would be in even bigger trouble and sent a final haste glyph her way as she fell to the ground in a state. Her aura was working its hardest to heal her, but she was out of this fight it would seem.

Blake made use of the haste glyph using Gambol Shroud at speeds she could never achieve on her own slicing the rockets clean in half before they could hit her. She smiled despite herself, she and Weiss worked well together. Just as she was about to mount an attack again she felt a burning pain and was blown backwards by another shot of the dust cannon, she tried to get up but fell back to the ground in pain.

Roman was not messing around; these kids were going six feet under tonight. As he saw the red haired blur make for another attack he brought the Paladin back, its right arm blocking her strike. In a startling show of speed for so cumbersome a machine he grabbed the team leader and slammed her into the ground. He then threw her to the side, as much as he would like to finish her he doubted he would get the chance. He had not seen the blond in a while.

Yang roared and jumped onto the machine smashing like a woman possessed at Torchwick's cockpit. He reacted quickly however barrelling the machine into a nearby pillar crushing the huntress against it, as she fell he ordered the machine to let loose a devastating punch sending her to the ground. However to his displeasure she quickly stood up, her hair was glowing an unnatural yellow as if it had caught ablaze. He readied the armoured fist of the Paladin and made to crush the girl before she did anything else.

Yang grimaced before readying Ember Celica to meet the punch channelling her semblance to aid her strike. To the shock of the criminal the Paladin's arm proved unable to win the trading of blows instead shattering into pieces as its metal hand met Yang's.

Roman swore to himself and the Paladin stumbled back, trying to evade the Blond Berserker who seemed to be trying to take the other hand of the machine. She was quite quick despite the punch she was packing. This could not get any worse.

An animalistic howl pierced the air, and Roman saw the armoured hunter he had smashed into earlier crawling along the ground dragging his halberd limply in one hand while his cape draped over his body. A red aura was surrounding him, and the criminal was fairly certain that there was a faint red glow emanating from him as if he was on fire.

It had just got worse.

The Knight charged towards the machine leaping onto the arm still remaining and piercing it with the halberd; devoid of an arm to tear his attacker off, Roman could only shake the Paladin futilely watching the beast crawl up the arm towards its socket, to his dismay the Knight's attack proved as devastating as he feared. The boy severed the remaining arm of the Paladin in one fell swoop.

Yang made to support Gerhardt powering towards the Paladins leg in a burst of speed smashing it to a useless state with a single punch bringing machine to its remaining knee. She then took that leg out too, putting Torchwick flat on his back with his Paladin. As she moved to get to the cockpit, she was interrupted by Gerhardt leaping on to it instead peering through the small crack that opened up the cockpit to view.

Roman swore again as he saw the thing knocking on his door so to speak, this really was not good. Neo needed to get here and pronto. He did not think that the Paladin's armour would hold up to Blondie and the Tin-Can for long. He heard a horrible screech, as the metal of the Paladin groaned in protest the cockpit beginning to warp and bend. Roman frowned, was the beast wrenching it off of the mech? The sudden blow of fresh air and bright light confirmed as much as the metal plating was discarded to the side by the angry Knight. The piercing blue eyes stared at Roman, who at this moment for the first time in a long time felt truly scared.

Yang smiled "We got 'em Gehr!"

He was going to kill her for calling him that, but the situation warranted it. They made quite the team as far as she was concerned. He made be hard to talk to but he held his own in a fight. Yang could respect that.

Roman went for Melodic Cudgel but a clawed hand grabbed him by the shirt throwing him out of the mech instead. Before he could even catch his breath the Outrider landed on top of him viciously digging his armoured knee into Roman's stomach causing the man to scream in pain.

Yang began to frown "Hey Gerhardt lay off him we got 'em! The police can take care of the rest."

Gerhardt was not listening, he was so hungry and the whispering of the Pontiff in his ear was so distracting. He had to maim and tear. The Eyes said so, and the Eyes were always right. He raised his halberd to pierce the man's skull but was pushed off him by Yang. He snarled in frustration as he looked as his ally.

"What the hell are you doing! You can't just kill him!"

Roman got up, and a familiar presence made his way to his side. A brown and pink haired girl with an umbrella popped in with a small smile on her face, but that quickly disappeared as she saw the state her companion was in.

"Neo we need to go now!" shouted Roman, as he stared at the Knight who was glaring at him from behind the wall that was Yang.

Neo nodded and reached towards Roman to use her semblance, but in a flash she found herself pushed back by Yang. The huntress made to punch Neo, but the girl was not interested in fighting. She ducked under the strikes and ran to Roman again.

A scream rang out, and Neo's eyes widened as she picked up the pace. Roman was hunched over before the Knight whose halberd was now stained in blood. She grimaced as she noticed the reason that Roman had screamed.

The criminal's arm was lying on the ground, while he bled profusely from the stump. His armoured attacker raised his weapon to finish the job.

Neo sped towards Roman pushing herself to her limits to reach him in time. She grabbed her friend and they both shattered just as the Outrider stabbed his polearm where Roman had been.

Gerhardt roared in frustration as he looked to the air seeing his prey escape in one of those Bullheads. He raised his halberd to charge for a ranged attack, but it sped off leaving him with no chance of hitting. He slammed his weapon into the ground with a snarl, how had they gotten away? He was so close.

"What is wrong with you!" shouted Yang, seeing Torchwick's arm lying beside Gerhardt. She readied Ember Celica just in case.

The Outrider growled softly, before letting out a slow breath. Cold mist blanketed the air around him. He picked up his halberd and walked past Yang, he needed to check on Velvet.

He did not want to answer the blond girl, but she was right. There was something wrong with him. He was losing control of the Pontiff's Eyes.

Gerhardt needed to get home soon, before he forgot what Irithyll was.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys weekly update as always, hope you are all doing well. I think this scene went well, and it is the first hint that this story will not just be an Outrider engaging in every significant event that happens to Team RWBY. There will be canon divergence further down the line, but as for what will happen you will have to wait until then. See you guys next week.


	6. Chapter 6

We are done talking of this!" hissed Gerhardt, gripping the desk he was sitting at with enough force to crack it. His patience had been worn thin.

"I don't think so," rebuked Yang, slamming her hands on the same table and forcing herself into the view of the indignant knight. This argument had been going on and off for the last twenty minutes, and it was reaching a crescendo.

Ruby sighed as she watched her sister and Gerhardt go at it. While the Headmaster had put in the good word and spared them any real punishment for their battle with Torchwick, Miss Goodwitch had still insisted that a detention was in order. Unfortunately it was a two-hour afterschool one, and the combination of the hothead that was her sister and the frigid individual that Gerhardt was proved to be a poor mix. Miss Goodwitch had told them they could leave already, having headed out herself after the two hours were up, but Yang and Gerhardt were not done with each other yet so their teammates stayed.

"You shouldn't have cut off his arm!"

"You're right."

Yang blinked in surprise.

"I should have cut off his head."

Her eyes narrowed again and she snarled "You can't just kill people anytime you feel like it. We are meant to be hunters! We protect people!"

Gerhardt glared at Yang coldly as he growled "You have no idea what it means to protect someone Xiao Long. You can't even protect your own sister half the time!"

Ruby gasped in surprise, while Weiss grimaced. This was about to get very bad.

"You have no right to say that! All you do is hurt things around you. You attacked us when we met first in Forever Fall, no questions were asked. You just wanted to kill something and we came along!"

Gerhardt glowered, there was perhaps some deeper truth to what she had suggested but he would not have it. He was an anointed Knight of the Boreal Valley, not some common hollow. She had no idea how difficult it was to live with the thirst. How it tore at his mind and ripped at his flesh constantly. She could not even begin to understand. So what if he was aggressive? It had only ever served him well in combat.

He should gut her for the insolence she was displaying.

The Knight spoke up, as he hid his twitching hand under the table "He was a threat, and I was poised to take care of him permanently. Think of all the lives the man has ruined, I could have put an end to that. Instead you intervened and he got away, every death he causes from now on is on your hands."

Yang's gaze softened slightly as she folded her arms and leaned against a wall. She looked to be calming. The huntress sighed as she looked at Gerhardt, who was viciously glaring at her still. The man was as headstrong as her.

"You are never going to be happy with yourself if all you are is killing Ger."

The Outrider glowered at that comment, and his hand's shaking grew even stronger. He gripped it fiercely stilling it, and began to think of a counter-argument to no avail. He decided to keep quiet. Silence was the better option.

Yang looked to Blake, who nodded at her. The pair got up with Weiss in tow. The majority of Team RWBY looked to their leader but she took a seat on a desk and waved to them.

Ruby smiled nervously "I'll catch up ok?"

They nodded, and while Yang had a concerned look in her eye, Ruby's sister followed Blake and Weiss out of the door.

Velvet was prepared to stay with Gerhardt until he decided to leave. However a look from the pleading eyes of Ruby made her rethink, the young huntress clearly wanted to talk with him alone.

Velvet put a hand on Gerhardt's shoulder; he flinched in discomfort before calming. She leant down to speak to him "I'll catch up with you after; I am going to the library to do some of Oobleck's History coursework."

She got a nod in return and wandered off content that her teammate was in capable hands. She trusted Ruby, and maybe what she had to say would do her partner some good.

As the Faunus left Ruby spoke up, stopping Gerhardt who was getting up himself to leave "Did you even know who he was Gerhardt?"

The Knight froze as he turned to stare at the young girl. He was being questioned by her now? Really?

"Of course," he muttered, moving to go past her regardless of Ruby's insistence of having a conversation.

Ruby shook her head sternly "No you didn't. Velvet told you after, I heard her. You attacked him and tried to kill him because you wanted to, Yang was right to say that."

The Knight glared at her fiercely but kept quiet, he was not able to dispute what she was saying. He was thankful that his hand's shaking had ceased.

"But I understand why you did it, and I get why you don't like to do stuff with us as well."

With that the Outrider's interest was piqued, and he decided to pay full attention to what little Ruby Rose was saying. For better or worse.

"We are too young in how we look at things, and you don't like it. You hate that we take things easy, and I can see it in how uncomfortable you look. Velvet gets on with you because she has learned to work around it, and has even got you to do things with her we could never do. But Ger you're a kid too, no one expects you to do everything perfectly and act wiser than most adults. That's not fair on you," explained Ruby earnestly, trying to meet the Knight's eyes.

A kid? He was no child; Knights of the Boreal Valley did not get to be children. He was born, he bled, he fought and one day he would die in glorious service of the Pontiff. That was how it worked, that was all he knew. For the longer he lived, the more likely he was to fall into the wretched embrace of the Eyes. Then he would suffer eternally. Death was a release.

Ruby smiled slightly "You still don't get it?"

Gerhardt snarled and leaned closely towards the young huntress "And who are you to judge me? You who wasted no time in jumping into your petty little crusades to stop Torchwick, your team consist of those who cannot separate themselves from what they do."

Ruby backed up slightly from the show of aggression, as Gerhardt stalked around her continuing his tirade.

"But then there is you; little Ruby Rose, so desperate to live up to all the whispers about you. A great prodigy, perhaps someone who could overcome Pyrrha Nikos given time; who came to Beacon at the age of fifteen with the skills of a huntress but certainly not the mind-set of one. You're sloppy, helped through all your trials by natural talent alone. You lack the mind for strategy or the stomach to kill. How can you protect anyone?"

Without faltering Ruby met his gaze, and this time she stood up facing him despite the height difference with a fire in her heart "Teach me then!"

This time Gerhardt wavered, cocking his head in surprise to Ruby's demand.

The young huntress continued "I am not stupid; I hate all the whispers about me. The constant expectations for me to be the best of the best, I know people think I shouldn't be here. But I wanna stay, and I wanna get better!"

The Outrider calmed slightly, as he scanned the girl's face. There was a fervour in her eyes that much was true, and that impressed him more than he would admit. Perhaps he had been too quick to misjudge her, he had always been impulsive. Maybe there was more to Ruby than was seen at first glance.

"Fine then," murmured Gerhardt, as his eyes scanned over her "I can teach you a few things that may aid you, as His Holiness did for me."

Ruby's eyes lit up but then they grew confused "His Holiness?"

Gerhardt cursed at his slip up, but resigned himself that such problems were bound to come up at some point. The art of lying was a powerful tool however, and bending the truth was even more potent. It was time that he told others bits and pieces of where he came from, but in a way he liked.

"I was raised by a holy man; he taught me how to fight. Everything you have ever seen me do I have learned from him," explained Gerhardt with a small frown on his face, he wondered would he ever see his Father again.

The two had by this point finally left the room, and were walking side by side making for a strange sight; a red-cloaked girl excitedly questioning a blue-caped boy who seemed to be slowly beginning to enjoy the situation. His recounting of how he grew up. Gerhardt made choice alterations here and there, as the girl had no need to understand truly where he came from. It was pleasant and calming almost.

The two conversed for a while and in return for his story Gerhardt received Ruby's. He heard the tale of a girl who lost her mother, and wanted more than anything to live up to her legacy. There was something admirable about that. He would be happy to help her, anything so he could distract himself from the gnawing of the Eyes.

"Ger does this mean we are friends now?" questioned Ruby, an infectious smile plastered on her face.

Gerhardt grinned slightly despite himself "I suppose it does Ruby."

For once he was willing to put his mind at ease. There would no worries about returning to Irithyll nor would he fear the whispering of the Eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, there was finally something that interested him as much as the thrill of battle. He hoped he was not going soft.

* * *

"Are you alright Miss Penny?"

She looked at the Atlas Soldier, one of those meant to supervise her, and gave him a friendly nod. She was combat ready! The chance to prove herself in the field today was like her birthday come early. She had though that General Ironwood would favour keeping her under wraps for a while longer, however circumstances had conspired to offer the chance to go into action now rather than later. She would still be going to the Vytal Festival, but this would prove good practice.

Penny remembered the briefing, and began to recount to herself the story she had been told. The Vale Council had been in contact with Atlas. They had been expressing concern about the widespread, and extremely abnormal, targeting of outlying villages by the Grimm in the past few weeks. Grimm favouring outlying settlements was by and large normal behaviour for the species; the villages that had been targeted in the past few weeks however were close to Vale, and they were densely populated all things considering. No widespread negativity was being expressed in the settlements either. The beasts were not normally so aggressive.

This was new.

While the General had agreed that he could not cause panic by detaching a full battalion to scope out the situation, he did have a girl that was worth just as much as one. Penny was to investigate the latest village to fall. The reports of its attack were disturbingly fresh, a mere two hours ago, but that meant that she was more likely to save any survivors. The Grimm were notoriously poor at getting into basements and other safe areas, preferring instead to starve those in them out. She would survey and save; this was the best combination in the General's opinion.

A gloved hand found its way in front of her face, and a soldier leaned down to shout to her over the din of the Bullhead engine "Alright Miss Penny, you are jumping in thirty seconds!"

The android nodded, making her way over to the door of the aircraft. She prepared to jump. There was no need for a parachute. Not when you were built like her. Not when you were artificial.

Penny silenced that thought, and upon hearing the confirmatory shout of one of her supervisors she jumped falling to the town of Hollow Oaks. She sped through the air, spreading her arms slightly to direct her descent. With grace befitting a cat but the subtlety of an Atlesian Paladin she landed on her feet with a thud, cracking the ground beneath her. The android looked up to survey the scene.

Hollow Oaks was ablaze, the street was awash with flames and a sickening scent of burnt flesh and blood was in the air. Small houses were ruined with chunks of them taken apart. The clock tower stood tall albeit ruined, its hands unmoving. Her first instinct was to say she was too late, but the sensors she had been given told her otherwise. There were a handful of non-Grimm lifeforms still alive; five were still here to be exact, with four of them obviously scared out of their wits if their heartbeats were any indication. The poor souls' hearts were thumping like drums; the Grimm would smell that fear on them. She had to act fast.

Penny was swift, marching down the main path of the village. She quickly engaged her first Grimm, a Beowolf hunched over the corpse of a villager eating its fill. Her blades ended the beast quickly, severing its throat. She stared at it in confusion however as it fell to the ground. Its armour was white and far stretching, showing that it was an aged beast, clearly an alpha, but a black gunk seemed to cover it. The viscous liquid dripped from the cracks in its armour. The bones of the grimm seemed to be stained a dirty black from whatever was on it, glaring red eyes far deeper than normal completed the image. The pictures and illustrations in the briefings had never shown one quite like that. Was it a sub-species?

She took a mental note, which in her case was literally one due to her robotic nature, and forwarded it to mission control. There was a moment of silence as she returned to running towards the remaining survivors, before a crackling in her ear informed her that she was being contacted.

" _Penny," ordered Ironwood through the hissing of the radio in her ear "proceed with caution. We have no records of such a strain of grimm, keep us posted if you see any more."_

"Yes General," replied Penny leaping on to the roof of a ruined building, deciding that the street was too slow an option to be using. Her sensors beeped, and to her dismay the survivors fell dramatically from five to two. A horrible roar pierced the air, followed by howls as Beowolves answered the call. That was an Ursa Major if she had ever heard one.

Getting to a higher vantage point Penny confirmed as such as a group of Beowolves jostled amongst each other to get the left overs of an Ursa which was enjoying the feast of leftover corpses. The gathering was a macabre parody of a speech, the Beowolves intently staring at the Ursa which was lounging on top of a ruined fountain tearing into its meal, every once in a while growling at a Beowolf that got too close.

Penny noted that the armour of the ancient grimm was coated in a similar gunk to what she had seen on the earlier Beowolf, it also possessed a massive crack down the bone mask of its face which was seeping the black ooze. The wolf-like grimm around it were in a similar state of disrepair and coated in the tar-like substance, though none were as bad as the Alpha Beowolf she had killed on the way into the village. Penny forwarded more pictures, and then took note of the bodies of the villagers.

Most of the inhabitants were desecrated by the ravenous grimm, and hard to identify or make sense of. She noticed however that many were shrivelled far beyond what they should be, eyes uncharacteristically missing from sockets. They showed the decay present in corpses left out for months, not mere hours. She forwarded her findings to Mission Control once more.

' _Penny, we are dispatching a squad to your location. The infestation is worse than we had believed,' said Ironwood, his voice distorted by the speaker. He continued after a short pause 'see if you can secure the remaining civilians while your back-up is on route. ETA two minutes.'_

"Affirmative," whispered Penny, before she readied her swords. She tore into the horde of grimm with inhuman precision. They did not stand a chance, with even the mighty Ursa Major falling to pieces with a confused roar before it even knew what had happened.

Her sensors beeped, and to her confusion it seemed the two remaining lifeforms were heading towards her. She wanted to shout at them for her stupidity, how could they be so foolish as to go outside with so many grimm prowling the streets? She had only killed a few of them, it still was not safe. Penny settled for deciding to save them dashing across the street and turning a corner to where she knew the two remaining survivors to be.

"Are you alri-" asked Penny, only to be floored by the shock of what she saw.

A man struggled desperately in the arms of a skeletal creature, easily standing over nine feet tall. The skull that was its face leered down at the man and its sword hung loosely in its right hand. A cold breath emitted from its face, and the air suddenly chilled around it.

The man reached out towards Penny moaning pitifully "Help me, please!"

Suddenly the left hand that held the remaining civilian began to glow, and to Penny's horror he wasted away before her eyes. The skin began darken acquiring the texture of leather, his eyes shrank horribly until finally disappearing from the man's sockets and he grew extremely emaciated as if his flesh was barely holding to his bones. All the while the man's killer stared at Penny inquisitively, not paying much attention to what it had done.

The corpse was unceremoniously dropped, and an Alpha Beowolf stalked out from behind the figure to dig into the corpse. It displayed all the deformities of the one she had encountered previously; she then noticed the scaring on it. This was the one she had killed when she had entered the village! Yet it was up and about again, apparently unfazed.

Penny focused on the eyes of the Grimm which lacked the signature orange-red burning colour that they were known for. The piercing pure crimson that glowed uncomfortably bright even before her optics gazed at her dismissively; the Beowolf was content to continue eating.

As the grimm consumed the carcass of the man, the skeletal hand of the opposing figure before her began to pet it eliciting a whine from the Alpha. It ceased eating immediately stalking in front of its master to put a barrier between it and the girl. The Beowolf sniffed before letting out a guttural growl as it looked at her. It could tell the scent was not right for a human.

Penny forwarded yet another picture of what she was seeing to High Command unable to make sense of what was before her. She immediately got a reply.

" _Reinforcements are inbound Penny, you have permission to engage!"_

"With pleasure!" shouted the android, her entire array of swords formed a halo of death behind her. The humanoid creature tilted its head before raising its own unorthodox blade.

The Beowolf roared and charged Penny, before meeting a hail of reinforced metal that stabbed straight into it. To her irritation, but not surprise, the Beowolf kept coming ignoring the massive damage it had just endured. Normal grimm did not do that, but normal grimm did not come back from the dead either. Just as she was about to launch a second barrage her sensors screamed of an incoming threat as cold metal slammed into her. Her aura saved her from the blow. A bright green glow emitted from the girl to show the strain her aura had been under. Penny groaned slightly as she looked at her assailant.

The humanoid grimm marched towards her again in a unnatural sprint. The heavy stomping it was causing as it barrelled towards her further caused her worry, this thing was heavy and strong. She did not need to be a genius to know that was a bad combination. Thankfully it did not seem to be that fast compared to her.

Penny's swords instantly shot out again, but astonishingly her opponent merely raised its hand. A swirl of blood red and pitch black coated its fingers blossoming into a shield, which deflected her swords harmlessly. The creature let out a hissing laugh, and she growled in frustration. Things were not going to plan.

The roar of engines split the skies, and three Bullheads suddenly burst into view circling over the village with their guns whirring. The creature and its Beowolf pet stared at the new interlopers. There was a frustrated snarl before it raised its sword to the air and let loose an inhuman shriek.

A legion of grimm howls answered, and two of the VTOLS immediately broke off to engage the flood of grimm that were suddenly approaching the village. The hiss of a King Taijituand clicking of the claws of a Death Stalker could be heard amongst the din, how were so many grimm this close to Vale?

Explosions rang out as the cannons and guns of the Bullheads let loose on their enemies. The remaining VTOL came low as it could to the ground, its chain gun whirring as the lasers of its sights focused in on their new foe.

The creature suddenly hunched over, resembling a deer in headlights, as it gazed up at the hovering vehicle. Penny could tell it was worried by the aircraft. The Alpha Beowolf that accompanied it ran, sprinting around a corner and far away from the gunship. There was a tense moment of silence as the pilot of aircraft stared at the thing that had doomed Hollow Oaks.

" _You are free to engage."_

The guns sprang to life barraging the area that the being had stood in, but in an astonishing display of nimbleness it spun backwards dodging the bullets. It broke into a sprint to get away from the aircraft. The pilot shifted the gears forward pushing the Bullhead in hot pursuit; the guns were still glowing red as it followed the retreating figure.

A hail of munitions tore at the surrounding area, as the creature barrelled through alleys and houses trying to evade the pursuing aircraft. That proved futile as the heavy firepower of the Bullhead simply tore through any obstacle before it, smashing the buildings like they were made of sand. Soon the creature began to run out of ground, and it doubled back sliding under the fire of the Bullhead making back for the clock tower. It let loose another shriek, and Penny could hear the flapping in the distance of a Nevermore. The VTOL had to end this fast.

Suddenly missiles burst from the aircraft, striking around the retreating monster. It was launched forward into a sprawling mess, but picked itself up near instantly leaping onto the clock tower and beginning to crawl up it. Penny realised what the creature was doing, it planned for the Nevermore to pick it up. That was not happening.

She jettisoned her swords into the building forming a cable between her and the clock tower. With careful unspoken coordination between her and the Bullhead pilot they worked around each other to allow the other to attack. Penny found herself quickly on the building, while her target dug its skeletal hands into the foundation picking up the pace as it scaled to the top. The sound of wind being parted by powerful wings grew closer, and Penny could see the jet black visage of the Nevermore barely seconds away from the village at the speed it was flying. It dripped with the same black liquid that coated the Grimm of the town, and shared visual similarities with the Alpha Beowolf. This was not good.

The humanoid grimm reached the top clinging onto the side of the clock, hanging off a pendulum as it looked down at Penny. She could swear it was smiling at her. The Nevermore came low, but instead of grabbing the creature it grabbed her ripping the android from the face of the clock tower. She immediately dug her swords into the bird, but it had already pulled her far enough away that she could no longer engage her primary target.

The dark creature gazed at the Bullhead, which could now engage freely without fear of hitting Penny; the guns began spinning once more ready to annihilate their foe. Suddenly the target let go of the pendulum and in an impossible display of acrobatics pushed itself off the face of the clock tower with its legs. It launched itself towards the Bullhead, landing on nose of the aircraft. With childlike ease it punched through the glass of the VTOL, before grabbing the pilot ripping him from his seat. The co-pilot attempted to shoot the beast, but found himself ignored as his friend was drained before his very eyes becoming little better than a desiccated corpse. Once finished the monster threw the body from the aircraft watching it fall helplessly to the ground. It then turned its attention to the co-pilot. The soldier hardened his face, and shifted the gear of the aircraft one last time. He rammed the vehicle into the clock tower creating a massive explosion that consumed the building in a blanket of flame.

Penny finally managed to ground the Nevermore, which let loose a pained shriek as it dropped her and crashed into a row of buildings embedding itself in the jutting edges of collapsed walls. She stared at shock at the inferno. This was just meant to be a search-and-rescue.

A black figure dropped from the clock tower gracefully to the ground, smouldering but still very much unharmed. The Alpha Beowolf that had retreated earlier made its return sprinting up beside its master. The pair advanced towards Penny. As she stared at her adversary she began to notice the horrible crimson miasma seeping from it. It groaned horribly shuddering as the red haze poured from it; suddenly the air was flooded with screaming. Human screaming. Skulls began to form from the red and black mist around the creature as it leapt towards her at breakneck speeds its sword burning with the souls of the damned. It was going to skewer her.

" _Penny get out of there now!"_

She obeyed, focusing all her aura on speed.

She ran.

She ran as if hell itself was chasing her towards the nearest Bullhead which had lowered itself to pick her up. Not breaking stride Penny jumped into the open door, thankful as the aircraft pulled up immediately out of the range of the berserker which screamed as it saw her leave slamming into where she had just been. The skulls roared in pain as they dissipated failing to find their target. Yet the creature shuddered again, and the sky blackened, as lightning broke out from the clouds.

"We're leaving!" cried the pilot, as a bolt of lightning struck mere inches away from the bullhead.

The aircraft shot off into the sky, and Penny stared her optics burning into her mind the sight of the creature. It looked at her balefully as she left, before turning and walking back into the village, its pet following swiftly behind. The pained cawing of the Nevermore began to calm as it extricated itself from the building, maimed but still alive.

_Ironwood's crackling voice cut into her thoughts "I think that is the Revenant we have heard rumours of. Get back to base; we will go over what we learned from it."_

The Darkwraith snarled as it limped slightly back into the village, the wolf it had tamed propping itself against his side to keep him up. That sorry fool that blew himself and the building up had wounded him more than he thought.

He looked around the village and sighed contently, yet another in his tally. He had consumed hundreds in these past few weeks, and the abyssal creatures of this land seemed willing to follow him after some 'persuasion'. They were loyal beasts. This wolf and giant crow proved to be his favourites. The pair had utility not often found in mere animals. They responded well to his gifts to them, growing in size and power under his influence.

The Beowolf whined, and the Darkwraith idly ran his hand along its snout to comfort it. The Nevermore in its massive size took to the air once more, landing on the ruined remains of the clock tower preening itself from the debris cutting into it from the fall it had taken. It cawed loudly, drawing another roar from the grimm horde pooling towards the fallen town.

The Fallen Knight of New Londo was still hungry, and the villages were not satiating him as much as they had used to. He had been a hungry rat gorging upon so many of the man-beasts and humans running around the countryside, but he needed more. His power waxed, but so too must his diet if he wished to keep growing in power. He needed to get to this city of Vale; it was surely brimming with fragments of the Dark Soul.

Breaching the defences was going to be a problem of course, but as the wretched Crimson Sealers of his now dead city would say; it was impossible to keep the Darkwraiths back forever. He would find a way, he always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I messed up with the formatting a lot, so anyone who read this may get a bit confused because I posted chapter 7 as chapter 6 earlier. Sorry about that. This is chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

"To the right," called Gerhardt, pushing Ruby's scythe aside with a carefully controlled shove of his blade. He watched her form, so much raw talent and yet she fought so sloppily, he had a long way to go with her. A long way.

Ruby brought Crescent Rose down with a resounding clang, putting all her strength and speed into the blow; her opponent merely held her off with his sword in a casual manner using her own momentum to lead her to the side. He pointed the dagger he held in his right hand at her throat.

"Dead."

The girl frowned "My aura would have protected me, and I could have jumped back to hit you again."

"It might have," noted Gerhardt, as he sheathed his dagger looking over her "or it might not have. You only get one life Ruby, no one comes back from the dead."

Or rather no one wants to, but that was a useless story to tell her.

Speaking of the dead, he honestly viewed Ruby's original attacking style as like that of a hollow. It had sprinkles of a developed form but was layered with slices of recklessness and an almost suicidal tenacity. Perhaps it would have use if she was immortal, but the girl was anything but. He was willing to go out on a limb and guess that her original mentor was a lot more durable or had a higher amount of aura than Ruby did if they fought in the manner she did.

"Stop attacking my sword. That is absolutely the wrong thing to do in a fight with an opponent; you want to strike at me proper, not my weapon. Hitting my blade does next to no damage to me. The only time you want to interact with your opponent's weapon is to block or parry what they are doing," advised Gerhardt, having noted that during the few practice spars they had been in so far.

"But they always do that in the movies!"

The movies were entertaining, but not exactly accurate. There was too much focus on making a fight entertaining, than believable. In most of the penultimate duels the hero had with the villain, at least in the movies he had seen with Velvet, it could last tens of minutes. Generally in his experience they lasted from one to three, unless your opponent was toying with you there was no reason a battle would last longer between to equally skilled opponents. Well in theory anyways, in practice in his land the ridiculous durability of the dead played a part in longer battles while in this one aura was the game changer. That being said an undead would not run out of their durability, while any human or faunus of Remnant could run out of their aura.

He tried to teach Ruby an orthodox fighting style to go with her Scythe, which was difficult as he had never wielded one. He knew of a particular Pontiff Knight that had wielded one to great effect, but he had never had the pleasure of even observing the warrior's style much less the opportunity to train under him.

Gerhardt's own training regimen was taking root and having effect, but he felt a tad hypocritical; he cautioned her to be conservative and exploitive in her fighting style arguing against flashy uses of spinning and aerial attacks but his own fights were full of such things.

An Outrider fought with unbelievable speed, and unorthodox strategy when compared to a regular knight. Even the skilled Lothric, Cathedral and Pontiff Knights could not compare to the feats of agility that his like could. It made it hard to teach her conservative fighting, especially when the Eyes favoured aggression over anything else. It was his intention that, once he had taught Ruby the basics of properly fighting actual human opponents, he could work with her so that she could use her semblance to forge her own method of fighting which could be as aggressive and as fast as she liked. He could even theoretically teach her some of his more unorthodox moves, as her semblance could certainly pull off the speed necessary. Allowing the Rose to blossom into a fully-fledged fighter with a unique style was important, Vordt had not fought like the Dancer after all. Everyone had their own way of doing things. They just needed to be taught before they did it.

"Besides why can't I use my baby like I always do? It's not fair that I can't use the recoil to get me around places!" protested Ruby, frowning as she held up her weapon for Gerhardt to inspect "She needs her exercise!"

The Knight smiled slightly "I doubt that Ruby, besides we agreed when I began training you that you would do as you are told. I must say that this is not what I expected when you promised me that."

The girl pouted, and she lowered her head in disappointment. She had been trying hard to follow what her friend told her to do, but it was not easy to fight like how he was showing her. Ruby knew she was all about speed, and her sister was all about power. That was like their dynamic. Now Gerhardt wanted her to slow down and fight as if she had no aura. It was just wrong. Sure she did feel more confident in using her scythe, but she could not use her newfound skill with her semblance; it was beyond annoying to her.

The Knight looked at Ruby "Alright, let us try again. I want you to focus on hitting me where it hurts, understand? Do not strike my blade; do not go for my wrists or arms either. I want you to go for where it would be fatal."

Ruby nodded hesitantly before pulling out Crescent Rose, she then tried to pull the trick that Gerhardt had taught her. She leveraged the scythe on her back nestling the grip against her cloak and dragging the blade across the ground. To complete the move she gripped with her right hand just before where the weapon's blade began while her left one was clung firmly to the near the end of her baby's grip. She had found this weird and uncomfortable at first, but now realised the point of it. Ruby could burst into so many attacks from this position, and her opponent really had no idea which one it could be. Fight smarter not harder as Uncle Qrow had always said.

She walked slowly over to Gerhardt who appraised her form with a careful gaze before digging his feet into the ground to prepare for what came next.

Ruby pushed forward twirling slightly to gain some momentum before wrenching her scythe upward to club launch Gerhardt flying from the power of the move. To her surprise, instead of dodging as she thought he would the Knight was instead caught in the attack and became airborne just as Ruby had planned. He fell with a thud to the ground, but seemed relatively unharmed all things considered. His blade plunged into the ground as he forced himself to his feet nodding in approval at Ruby.

"Good."

He was suddenly on Ruby, and his sword would have bit her cheek were it not for her aura. As his sword rose to come down on her she lifted her own weapon, and tried to put into action yet more of the advice she had been given. The Huntress went for his sword hooking Crescent Rose around the blade, and pulling it to the side. The lack of resistance from Gerhardt confirmed she had done it right, as her mentor went with the blade and was left open to an attack which she quickly followed through with. A large clang could be heard, as Crescent Rose roared into the armoured man's side. He stumbled slightly and looked up at her again with a tilting of his head that betrayed satisfaction even under his helm.

"Better."

Gerhardt suddenly flowed across the ground like an exotic dancer, as he wielded his blade in a haphazard and odd looking manner. Just as Ruby was sure he was about to slam into her he whirled around using the energy he had built to slam his sword into Ruby's side. The girl groaned in pain, feeling her aura complaining from having to shield such a blow.

"Dead."

Oh no she was not having this.

"I hit you twice, and you do it once and yet I lose? That isn't fair!" protested Ruby gripping onto the Knight and shaking him as fiercely as she could, which admittedly was not much.

Gerhardt would concede that Ruby was right; he was just teasing her at this point. It was unbelievable but it seemed he was getting attached in a way to the little Huntress; her kindness reminded him of the Dancer. The opportunity to help someone as the female Outrider had helped him was too much of a treat to pass up. Ruby was a luxury for him. He had been promised by the Pontiff that in the future he would have younger brothers and sisters that he would help train, but such plans never came to fruition before he was dispatched to guard lonely Yhorm. And now with his exodus to this world it was likely it may never occur. She would fill that hole for now.

"Jaune and Pyrrha will be joining us soon," remarked Gerhardt, sitting down on the ground and gesturing for Ruby to do the same "You may take a break for now."

Ruby sighed and stretched out on the ground, wrapping her cloak around herself for a bit of comfort. Spending the weekends training had advantages and disadvantages, she really enjoyed fighting with Gerhardt but he was unrelenting even if he was far kinder now. Her side was in a constant state of healing and pain because Gerhardt just seemed to hit here there more than any other place, probably to avoid hurting her too badly.

The Knight had organised a little arrangement with the Mistralian Champion, her leader was not exactly skilled in the art of combat. He was far below anyone as far as Gerhardt could tell, but remained determined to improve. Admirable if a bit foolish, nevertheless Pyrrha seemed to believe Jaune could do better and he would not interrupt them. She had agreed to help train Ruby in some things he was unable to teach, semblance control for example, in return for his aid in teaching Jaune swordplay. A fair deal if there ever was one.

He pondered over what style he should teach Jaune, the boy used a shield if he recalled correctly so a one handed technique was recommended. His blade was a longsword, so it could certainly be used properly in one hand which meant he could be taught some of the techniques that Gerhardt knew. Not all of them would be possible however, especially considering that he preferred to keep an open hand in combat either to withdraw and use a dagger for parrying as well as just for grappling in general.

Gerhardt heard footsteps, and Ruby sprang to her feet and sped over to Pyrrha and Jaune who smiled warmly at her. Ruby briefly gave both of them a hug, before all but dragging them over to the Outrider who was now getting to his feet.

"Ger will teach you to use a sword don't worry Jaune," smiled Ruby, while possessively grabbing Pyrrha. She really wanted to get to use her semblance again, and Pyrrha was going to teach her how to not expend it as much in combat. It was going to be great!

Pyrrha patted Jaune on the back to encourage him before "He'll teach you well, besides we are only on the other side of the room. You'll be fine."

She followed Ruby to the other side of the room leaving Jaune alone with Gerhardt, who looked him over. Jaune whimpered slightly as the Knight circled around him gazing over his form. He felt like a piece of meat being eyed up by a predator. Jaune took a breath; he just had to be confident. That was the way to go. Dad had always said if you are confident you will get through even the worst of situations.

"A decent form," muttered Gerhardt, before stretching his arm to Jaune with an open palm "hand it over, that sword of yours. I need to understand it before I teach you to use it."

Jaune nodded, before unsheathing Crocea Mors "Careful with it please, it's a hand-me-down from my great-great-grandfather. It has character you know?"

The Knight nodded as he carefully ran his hand along the blade, it was deceptively sturdy and well-crafted despite how mundane it looked. He enjoyed that, too many swordsmen were too concerned with the look of their weapon rather than its practicality and Crocea Mors certainly felt practical. A man or woman's weapon could tell you a lot about them, and he saw a lot of the person Jaune Arc was in this blade. He could work with this.

Gerhardt threw the sword back to Jaune letting the Hunter assume a stance before he began talking "The most important thing about swordplay is that you hit your opponent and they do not hit you, as simple as that sounds it is absolutely a vital concept that you need to understand. Do not trade hits with your opponent, do not rely on your armour to take a blow unless you have absolutely no choice."

The Outrider suddenly struck at Jaune, who barely brought his shield to his defence but nevertheless felt the strain of the ferocious attack. He had so many things he wanted to say to Gerhardt right now, but his mother would kill him if he uttered it.

"Your footwork is certainly solid, Pyrrha has been doing a good job," noted Gerhardt, before dragging his sword across Jaune's shield in a half-hearted attempt to break his guard. The boy stood firm, and the attack finished with him still on his feet.

Jaune stood still, as his opponent started circling him. He kept calm and cautious as Pyrrha had taught him. It was clear that Gerhardt was not like Pyrrha in how he trained others; he seemed to prefer to fight and pick out mistakes which would then be ironed out.

The Hunter took a breath inhaling deeply, before thrusting Crocea Mors in to strike at the side of Gerhardt who was beginning to snake to the side of Jaune and around his shield. His strike was deflected in a hail of sparks, but Gerhardt ceased circling which meant that it had not entirely been pointless.

His opponent suddenly broke into a sprint charging at Jaune, who once again brought his shield in to protect himself. But to his surprise instead of a sword striking his shield it was an armoured boot which threw his shield to the side, before Jaune could do anything to protect himself a fist forced itself into his stomach sending him to his knees winded.

"Unfortunately she has not been doing a good job in other places, you must not block every attack because some will doom you," said Gerhardt, before kicking Jaune across the face. He walked to the side to pick up Jaune's discarded shield giving it back to its owner before leaning down to talk to the beaten hunter "See if you can block this."

Pyrrha stopped her meditation with Ruby, and frowned deeply at the sight. She moved to get up, but Ruby's hand grabbed her own fiercely. She turned to see the girl's head shaking.

"Let Gerhardt do his thing, he did it with me as well."

As she stared at Ruby, Pyrrha was tempted to ignore her anyways. She heard a yelp from Jaune as another vicious kick raked across his jaw. The champion would not worry so much if it were not for the fact that Gerhardt seemed to ignore aura at times when he hit someone. Their defence would still be there, but instead of taking no damage except to their aura they would find themselves bruised or cut where Gerhardt had hit. Aura slowed down his strikes, but they were not neutralised. Jaune could get seriously hurt.

Ruby tugged at her again "He won't get better unless you let him do something on his own Pyrrha."

That was surprisingly wise advice from Team RWBY's leader, as much as she did not want to admit it. Pyrrha resigned to keep a closer eye on Jaune, and to step in if Gerhardt did anything too over the top. She shook her head and began to instruct Ruby once more on how to meditate properly.

Gerhardt sighed, as Jaune raised Crocea Mors to try and strike at him once more. He dodged the blade and once again kicked Jaune in his jaw "You know I was expecting a tad more from you, when I first saw you I was impressed to see someone with a weapon I respected. Yet you are a bit of a disappointment."

Jaune stared up in anger at the Knight who lazily twirled his blade looking at the crestfallen boy. He moved to get up, but once again he only got a boot to his face for his efforts, blood fell from his mouth to the ground, and he could feel the crimson ichor leaking from his nose. He was being humiliated.

"Perhaps Pyrrha was wrong about you?"

He could not let her down; he had to prove to everyone that he could be here. That he could make it as a hunter, that he was not weak. He had to be strong for his team, for his partner and for himself. Jaune weakly stood up, and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"Good, that is what I want to see in you; prove me wrong!" shouted Gerhardt, as he beckoned the Hunter forward.

Jaune brought Crochea Mors in a sweeping motion towards the Knight's side, but once again met only the cold steel of his opponent's blade. He took a page from Pyrrha's book and bashed at Gerhardt with his shield but the other man jumped back from the move. Jaune knew he had to do the unexpected if he had any chance of actually hitting Gerhardt. He threw his shield at his foe, who deflected it but was taken back by the move.

Gerhardt brought his sword to deflect Jaune's strike, before having to deflect yet another as the boy continued to strike at him without any form of reprieve. A slash from his left and a blow to his right, it was intoxicating to see such aggression from another fighter. He kept blocking and deflecting the moves of the boy watching as slowly and surely Jaune began to tire, his blows beginning to weaken and slow. The hunter screamed and raised for one last strike bringing Crocea Mors down with all of his remaining strength, the blow rebounded off his foe's sword with Jaune's blade being wrenched out of his hands. He looked up in defeat at Gerhardt.

"Not bad, your stamina is impressive but unfortunately the skill you possess is lacking. I can work with that nonetheless. You cannot block everything so remember that. Nevertheless Pyrrha clearly was quite right to say you have potential."

Jaune sighed in relief, but then looked up at Gerhardt who was raising his boot again.

"Please do not kick me again," he begged raising his arms futilely.

Jaune could hear the grin in Gerhardt's voice.

"No."

* * *

The Outrider sighed slightly as he made his way back to his room, he was sad to cut his training short but Ruby had plans and Pyrrha wanted to bring Jaune into Vale for one reason or another. That left him alone again, and at the moment he really despised that concept, because when others were not talking to him he could hear the whispering.

His fingers curled around the door handle, and he strode into the room before quickly taking a seat on his bed. It was simple enough and lacking in colour, but it was adequate for sleeping in and that was all that mattered. He felt tired now, but he had somethings to do before he slept. He left his sword on the bed.

Gerhardt moved into the bathroom, and began to peel off his armour. He needed to clean himself up, which was always a painful and time-consuming process. He quickly hung his cape up on a hanger, before taking off his gauntlets and boots. His helmet came next neatly deposited in a pile on the floor. That was the easy part of undressing.

Now came the hard part.

Gerhardt bit his tongue, as he began undoing the clasps of the chest plate. His was interesting in that it was effectively two separate pieces that were clasped together by a strap which completed the breastplate. If any regular person were to wear this armour, and then undo the straps it would come apart simply enough. In fact were it not for his physical condition upon undoing the strap the armour would literally fall into two pieces, when the Pontiff had first had this armour crafted for Gerhardt this had occurred many times. Luckily it was sturdily made, and the floor had always come worse off when the steel armour had fallen to the ground.

Gerhardt undid the last strap, and heaved a sigh as the plate armour still remained on his body. He knew this would happen, it had been the case for a while but he always hoped every time he undid his armour that things would change. He bit even more firmly down on his tongue, and began to peel the pieces of armour off of him groaning in pain as bits of his flesh came with it.

As a result of the mutations he suffered from the eyes, his armour was prone to fusing into his skin which was why it stayed hung onto him even when the straps were unbuckled or failed. Usually it would take a week before he would start growing onto the armour, but this time it had only been two days. A sign that his mutations were rapidly increasing.

Finally with a muffled cry he pulled the armour off with both pieces falling to the ground splattered in blood and skin. He would have to clean the armour in a moment, along with the mess his body would undoubtedly make. He stepped into the shower, just as his body began to leak blood from the wounds he had just caused. The showerhead burst into life, and Gerhardt hissed as the hot water dug into his wounds.

Aldrich help him why did it hurt so much?

His clawed hand gripped at one of his wrists, and he tore at it letting even more blood pool from his body. He had to taper off the curse of the Eyes from his blood, even if he was not sure if it truly was working anymore. He quickly froze the wound once he felt that the right amount of blood had flowed from him, glancing over the myriad of scars littering his body. Most of them were solely from this ritual, as he could not use the Pontiff's Left Eye to heal them because that defeated the point of what he was doing.

Gerhardt quickly cleaned himself with the sponge, before rinsing at his wounds from tearing off his armour. He then froze them shut to prevent further loss of blood; he would not be wearing his armour for the rest of tonight as he would have to clean it. He could not afford to be bleeding all over the place.

A muffled creaking startled him, before he realised it was likely Velvet coming into the room. The bathroom door was still firmly shut and locked, the last thing he needed was to explain why his armour was soaked in more than just water, so he had nothing to fear. But he felt slightly uneasy nevertheless. The girl was worryingly perceptive.

Gerhardt quickly rinsed his armour under the shower as well, scraping at it with his hand to discard of the leftover pieces of gore still stubbornly clinging to the metal. He then produced a sheet of ice over the breastplate, as well as his other pieces of armour. It was more of a damaging thing meant to dissolve flesh rather than freeze it specifically, but the frost served the purpose Gerhardt had given it well.

With that said and done, he placed it to the side confident that Velvet would be unlikely to look at it and even if she did it would not appear out of the ordinary. He swaddled himself in a tunic he wore for when he was outside his armour, with his cape wrapped around himself for some extra coverage. He felt naked without his second layer of metal skin, but he had no real choice. He needed to keep clean.

As Gerhardt stepped out of the bathroom, he heard some laughter and turned to face four figures sitting in the room. A beret wearing woman with sunglasses waved to him.

"Hey-ya Ger-bear!"

Gerhardt groaned "Adel, I see you got back from your mission early."

Coco frowned and pushed down her sunglasses "We've been through this, call me Coco. And yeah, it was a wash. Just a pack of Beowolves and a single Ursa Minor. It was nothing to write home about."

Yatsuhashi nodded solemnly "The villagers were right to be worried however even a single pack of those creatures can wipe out a town."

An elbow hit his side and he grunted as Coco laughed "Lighten up Yatsu. We came, we saw and we kicked Grimm ass! Nothing else to worry about."

Fox smirked slightly, as he lounged lazily on Gerhardt's bed "It was not that tough, but it's good to get a work-out everyone in a while. How are things with you and Velvet?"

The Knight sighed and gestured to his faunus partner "She is over there, why not ask her yourself?"

Velvet gave him an apologetic look, but knew she was due a rant when her team left. Gerhardt hated unexpected visitors, but it was not as if she could exactly guess when Coco would show up. Coco was Coco. And where she went, Fox and Yatsu followed.

As her teams eyes focused on her she went red in the face. Her ears curled slightly "Well, uh we watched a movie and went shopping last week."

Coco smiled lazily "Without me?"

"And we fought Roman Torchwick."

"What?"

Velvet grinned awkwardly and her hand rubbed the back of her head "Yeah it was a weird night. Team RWBY and some foreign exchange students apparently riled up Torchwick and he went on a rampage on the highway with an Atlesian Paladin."

Gerhardt took a seat next to Fox who shifted over slightly to accommodate him. He was not sure how he felt about the rest of team CFVY, but they were part and parcel of being partnered to Velvet. He had hated Coco at first, but they found common ground eventually. Yatsuhashi was a mild-mannered bear of a man, and while the swordsman had been frosty at first he had soon become decent company. Fox was a bit of an enigma to the Outrider, but he had been civil enough after Yatsuhashi had buried the hatchet, so Gerhardt had no real complaints.

They were affable enough all things considered.

"You cut off his arm?" asked Yatsu gruffly, staring down at Gerhardt with an indiscernible expression.

That brought the Gerhardt out of his pondering as he stared up at giant warrior with a tired expression. He had been through several arguments with various different people as to why he was justified in what he did; he was in no mood to have the conversation for a fourth time.

"Should've cut off his head," muttered Fox, crossing his arms as he weighed in on the conversation "scum like Torchwick don't blink when they do that to others so why should you?"

Gerhardt nodded "I had planned to, but Xiao Long pushed me off of him. He made his escape with that assistant of his, and then she decided to lecture me on why I should not have done it. Miss Goodwitch and the Headmaster have already told me I did nothing wrong."

Coco frowned but shrugged her shoulders "Hey you're not gonna get complaints from us, Torchwick deserved a lot more than what you gave him. It's just a first-year thing, everyone comes in all happy and full of sunshine from Signal and the like, thinking that the only thing they'll ever need to do is shoot a couple of Beowolves. Give 'em time and they'll see that sometimes that ain't the case."

The Knight nodded, his shoulders relaxing slightly. He was glad someone understood his point of view; Yang and Ruby would come around and see it eventually if Coco was correct. Velvet had not complained so she must be with the rest of Team CFVY on the issue.

"Say Gerhardt, you ain't heard of any human-like Grimm have you?" asked Coco, going out on a limb. She had been asking everyone she had met recently to see if she could get a good answer but so far nothing had come up.

He thought for a moment, a human-like Grimm? No, as far as he could tell there were only four he had ever seen. Beowolves, Ursa, King Taijitu, and Deathstalkers were the limit of his knowledge.

He shook his head.

"Well when we were out helping in a village called Furness, we met this guy who says he came from some town called Braedon. He looked crazy, but the story he told was weird. The guy said they got attacked by something like that. And funny enough there have been a lot of towns going missing recently; Hollow Oaks, Ashton, and a few others have all been wiped out. I think it might be the same thing," said Coco with a hint of suspicion, fixing her beret which was hanging lopsidedly.

Yatsuhashi nodded sagely "The man said it had a skull for a face, and wore a hood made of crow feathers; he even said it ate the souls of those it fought. It sounds like the legends from Mistral, of the Knights who fell to the dark in their fight against the Grimm. Revenants."

Fox nodded in agreement. He was familiar with the legend as well; it was a common bedtime story in Mistral that parents told their children. If they misbehaved then the Revenants would come to eat them and their souls. It was only a fairy-tale of course, but he would not be surprised if some species of Grimm formed the basis for the story.

"A Darkwraith?" muttered Gerhardt in disbelief, to himself quietly.

Yatsuhashi leaned down to face the Knight "You know of this myth?"

Gerhardt shook his head "'Tis but a fairy-tale, the Grimm are being drawn by increased negativity that is all. These 'Revenants' as you call them are anything but real."

All members of Team CVFY seemed unsatisfied by the answer, but knew better than to press the man. Instead they got back to catching up with each other leaving the Outrider alone with his thoughts.

A Darkwraith was here in this world? Then perhaps he finally could find a way home, Gerhardt was content to wait. He knew how the creatures of the Abyss worked, they would always make their way towards the largest fragments of the Dark Soul were located. He could then figure out how it got here, and Aldrich willing how to get back to Lothric as well.

He needed only wait, as where else would the fragments of the Dark Soul be as large and intoxicating as in a city such as Vale? He did not need to find the Fallen Knight, for it would come to him.

For the first time in a long time, Gerhardt felt a flicker of hope. He would not let it be snuffed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, not much to say other than things will be ratcheting up in a few chapters from now so I hope you don't mind waiting.


	8. Chapter 8

Emerald Sustrai was by nature a sceptical woman. If it were any other person who had suggested it, she would have laughed at them for saying that the best course of action to understand the enemy was to attend the same school as them. But Cinder Fall was no 'other person' and Emerald owed her everything. So she obeyed.

Mercury was a different sort; he was very vocal in his disagreement with Cinder's plan, when she wasn't in hearing range of course, but Emerald had grown tired of explaining the specifics to him. And he had grown frightened of asking Cinder. And so he just whined. It was hard to believe he was a trained assassin.

"You know, I've been thinking," said Mercury raising his hand to scratch his chin.

Emerald scoffed "Now there's a surprise."

"Harsh. Anyways what I was thinking was this. Isn't it a bit weird that the Grimm have started acting up recently," said Mercury, "I know Cinder's leader can tell them what to do, but I don't recall them being due to be this active. Maybe the plan is going ahead early?"

It was certainly a possibility, Cinder had too much riding on this for it to not accommodate some form of backup plan or change if something major occurred. Perhaps the circumstances had altered while they had been staying at Beacon. But Emerald knew better than to ask questions, she would be told when she needed to be.

"I mean we are cleaning up after Roman, it seems like something big is going to go down," said Mercury sitting down on the bed across from Emerald and grabbing at his tool kit to begin doing maintenance on his bionic legs, "Tukson was going to say something, or maybe he wouldn't have I don't know, and we took care of it. Now the Grimm are getting riled up, and if I remember correctly Torchwick is working in Mountain Glenn at the moment with that stolen Schnee train overtime compared to what he was originally meant to be doing."

Emerald smirked slightly "Yeah I gotta hand it to Torchwick, he is doing a great job."

"Oh that's right!" laughed Mercury, as he tightened a screw on his leg "he got his arm cut off. That'll teach him to make jokes about me! Do you know how that happened? I haven't asked Cinder yet."

"Some new student, Cinder says that there is very little on him. He's that guy that beat Nikos remember, the one with that elemental semblance and strange fighting style?" said Emerald.

Mercury nodded slowly before grunting as he tightened a bolt far too much. He began loosening it before looking to the door which had opened. To no great surprise Cinder walked in, elegant and yet radiating danger as always. His kind of girl, but he was not suicidal enough to try anything with her. Besides he owed her a good bit anyways, least he could do was respect her.

Cinder slowly closed the door behind her before making her way to the sole chair in the room. Emerald and Mercury both recognised that she was about to have a talk with them about the plan, but the look on her face was anything but pleasant. Instead of the smug and self-satisfied expression that normally painted her face, there was an angry and irritated frown etched into her. That was a sign for her subordinates to be on good behaviour, lest she burn them.

"There have been alterations to the plan," said Cinder staring at the pair of them, "with Roman incapacitated permanently we may need to consider relying more heavily on the breach than how we had previously planned to. The increase in Grimm activity will synchronise well with this, Roman reports that Mountain Glenn is covered in Grimm at the moment."

"Ah so your Mistress is behind that yeah?" asked Mercury.

Cinder's eyes narrowed at the comment, but she shook her head "No, I have been in contact with her and she has nothing to do with it; a third-party figure is the reason for the current situation."

Emerald and Mercury exchanged worried looks before focusing their attention back on their leader.

"When the upcoming dance goes ahead, I will hack into the archives as we previously planned. But that is just in case the breach does not go as planned. The use of the Vytal Festival as a cover for us is now Plan B if you will. The White Fang opening up Mountain Glenn is Plan A," said Cinder.

"What about this other person leading the Grimm," asked Emerald, eager to please her saviour, "should we take him out?"

Cinder shook her head firmly "No, if my Mistress is correct then if it is left to its own devices it will indirectly work with us. The most important thing at the moment is ensuring that the White Fang continues to get its dust shipments, which will be problematic with Roman's injury."

Emerald knew better than to offer her own services, she was not a master thief like Torchwick and they needed deniability. If she were to be caught then it could bring the whole plan crashing down. But she did have an idea for who could continue on for Torchwick.

"What about Neopolitan?" asked Emerald.

Cinder thought it over. Roman's little sidekick was more of a bodyguard than a thief, she just kept Roman safe when he went about on heists but there was no way she could have spent so much time with a thief like him and not have picked up a few tricks. Besides her loyalty to Roman was easily exploitable, all they had to do was inform her that should she not agree to carry on Roman's work then they would be forced to dispose of him.

Brilliant.

"Excellent idea Emerald," praised Cinder, brushing her across the girl's cheek causing her to flush at the contact, the hand then fell from Emerald's face as Cinder smiled slightly, "I will get into contact with Roman as soon as I find the time, I am sure he will be quite happy to lend Neopolitan for such matters. Or we will make him happy to; it doesn't really matter either way."

Mercury sighed in boredom as Cinder began to talk with Emerald who sat like a loyal dog listening to her master. He was so done with all of this; there had better be some action soon.

* * *

"Neo?" called Roman, looking over his shoulder for his friend, as he turned off the transmission he just received. They would need to speed up even more, and he was already giving it his all. Typical Cinder Fall.

She came quickly, her eyes stricken with the worry that had wormed itself into them after he had lost his arm. Neo was always a loyal friend, but she was a bit aloof and Roman had always been fine with letting her wander off. But that had all changed. He felt useless now, and Neo was never far from him.

" _Roman_?" whispered Neo, in her scratchy voice that was worn from years of misuse.

It was always rare for the girl to speak; when he had first taken her off the streets he had thought that she was mute. She was as quiet as a mouse. As shy as one too. It took months to even hear a peep out of her, but from the point on he had been there to look after her and make Neo into what she was today. He was her friend, and her father in a way. And he would be proud to call her his daughter.

He hated being such a burden now.

"Heya kiddo, I just need a little help with this," said Roman, pointing to his untied shoelaces, "don't mind do you?"

The girl shook her head vigorously, and knelt down to quickly to help her friend out. Once done she looked up to see Roman smiling at her. He rose from his chair leaning heavily on Melodic Cudgel as a crutch. He was a bit wobbly on his feet as well, but that was the least of his worries to be quite honest. He nodded at Neo to follow him, which she did so dutifully.

The pair both walked in silence for a moment, entering into the main area of their operation in Mountain Glenn. The cavern buzzed with the sound of hammering, and shouting of White Fang members. It was a good thing they were so far out, because the noise was enough to wake the dead.

The work was coming along nicely however, the train was nearly completely fitted with explosives, and of course the tunnel into Vale was not far off completion. They just needed maybe one or two more good heists of dust, and everything would be swell. Of course, he wasn't capable of doing that anymore.

"Neo, kid I am going to be honest with you and I won't beat around the bush. We are in trouble right now, Cinder only ever made use of me because I was good at stealing," said Roman, not looking at Neo to hide the shame he felt, " Right now, I can't do much else than organise a good heist. These animals are not good for anything other than being dumb muscle, and there is no other hired help I can get that are competent enough to carry out these thefts without me being there to babysit them."

Neo nodded slowly, she did not even need to hear the rest. She had to stand up and fill Roman's shoes. It was not exactly something she would take any pleasure in, but there was little choice available to her. It was do or die, it always had been for her.

" _I'll get it done."_

Roman nodded gratefully "Thanks kiddo, I promise I have a plan to get us out of this mess. When the breach goes down we'll make our way to Vacuo, or maybe even Atlas. I know guys who can set us up with fake IDs, it will be like we became new people. We'll get as far away as we can from Cinder and her plans I swear."

They both knew he was being incredibly optimistic. There was no real escape from Cinder, no hiding from her and her allies. Even if they did make it to Atlas or Vacuo what then? You could not outrun Cinder and who she served.

" _What about the guy that took your arm?"_

Roman grimaced and grabbed at the empty air where his arm had once been. He still had phantom pains from losing it, and at the time he nearly died from shock. He would give anything to get revenge on the one that took his arm. An unlike how his limb was taken, it would not be quick. It would be messy, and as brutal as he could make it.

"I have a feeling we'll run into him again kiddo, and believe me when I tell you that he will rue the day he did this to me," said Roman, with a slight smirk developing on his face.

There was other things to worry about first, dust was always a prized commodity but his theft of hundreds of tonnes of it every week or so made it quite a bit more valuable. With the arrival of the Atlas troops it was becoming hell to even get close to a gram of dust. The Atlesian Knights were no match for people of Neo's skill, but the average White Fang member was cut out for the job when it came to dealing with them, Gods forbid a Paladin.

Then he had to consider the problems of actually getting the train into working order, sure the animals had stolen the train well enough but it was in a shoddy state all things considered. Schnee engineering was the only reason it still ran at all, but Cinder would have his hide if it broke down on route to Vale. Perry had gathered some former engineers in the White Fang, he even went to the effort to speak with Taurus to get more sent in, to work on the train but it was still taking time. And time was the one thing of the many things he currently did not have.

This really made him think about things, and he thought hard about Neo. There was no real escape for him, but he was not so sure about her.

"Neo you remember when I first found you?" asked Roman, propping melodic cudgel against a wall as his lone hand fumbled into his jacket for a cigar which he found with some effort.

" _Yeah, course I do."_

Neo reached into Roman's side pocket to withdraw his lighter.

Roman bit down on his cigar, and leaned in so that Neo could light it. Once it was alight he let a ghost of a smile grace his face. He blew a massive puff of smoke that obscured Neo's sight for a second, before beginning to speak.

"You know you are the only good thing I've ever done in my life Neo, we haven't ever really talked about our pasts. I mean you were a tramp on the streets, no offense, and I have always been a scumbag con-artist turned master thief. But I feel like I have to tell you so many things, but I don't know where to begin."

Neo listened intently, content to allow Roman to express his feelings.

"I've killed people Neo, I mean you know this you've done it for me before, but I have always done it for a purpose," said Roman taking another puff of his cigar, "I killed my first man when I was an up and coming bruiser in a small gang; it was a bit of an initiation. He was some restaurant owner we were shaking down, things got heated and he refused to pay, I didn't mean to kill him but when I hit his head he did not get up again. The only reason I ever joined the gang was to make some quick lien, scamming people was not making me that much anymore. My parents were not that well off and I was their only child. I could've got some part-time job, but all the real money was in that kinda work."

" _I get you."_

Roman's expression turned sour "No you don't Neo, listen to what I am saying. I had a choice, and I made it. I don't regret it. If I could go back would I change somethings? Yeah of course I would. But I would still be here today every time no matter what. Because I made that choice long ago and I would make it again. But you never made that choice Neo, I never asked you about your past. I picked you off the streets when you were eating from the trash, with ratty rags as clothes. I fed you and I clothed you, and then I sent you off to go kill for me when I needed it."

" _Roman…I-"_

"Can it kid, let me finish. I sent you out there, but I never really gave you a choice. I never asked you if I you wanted to do these things. I am not dumb, you are far too skilled at doing these things to not have a history at it but you were not causing any harm as far as I know. You were alone, you were scared, and you were vulnerable. I took advantage of that. Now I am doing something I should've done long ago. I am giving you a choice," said Roman taking another puff of his cigar.

" _Where is this coming from? You were thanking me for saying that I would take over the heists a couple of minutes ago."_

"Forget what I said minutes ago!" barked Roman, "I am talking about now. This is now Neo! You can go if you want; you have the money and the skills to get yourself a nice life out there. I could easily get you a new ID and that would be it. Then you would go to Vale, Vacuo, Mistral or Atlas and be something you want to be. Not what you have been told to."

Neo frowned deeply and her eyes began to water slightly.

" _You don't want me here?"_

"Of course I want you here kid, but I want you to be happy more. My parents are dead, my relatives don't give a damn about me and I don't have any brothers or sisters. You're all I got. I don't want you to be stuck here like this."

Soft hands wrapped around Roman and he looked down to see Neo firmly burying her head into his white coat, he sighed softly and used his remaining hand to softly stroke her head. The girl sniffled slightly.

" _I'm not going anywhere."_

Roman sighed "No kid, I suppose you're not."

He and Neo stayed that way for a while, before eventually he shooed her off telling her to go make herself useful. He loved that girl more than himself, and it hurt to think that one day he could get her killed. Getting his arm cut off had been a horrible thing, but he would go through a thousand times before letting something bad happen to Neo.

That said he had to thank that Knight for one reason and one only. It made him realise he could die.

It had been so long since he had ever feared death, he was powerful enough to fight his way out of most things and smart enough to talk or sneak his way out of whatever else came his way. But that thing that took his arm, it was stronger than him and it did not stop no matter what. No dialogue or discussion. If it were not for Neo he would've died. And dying was not what scared him.

It was leaving Neo behind that did.

He knew he had lied to Neo when he said he wouldn't have changed anything if he could go back. If the opportunity presented itself he would've gone and got that job at the supermarket stacking shelves, it would've paid nothing but it could have been a start. He wished he had never hit that man, wished he hadn't of killed him. He wished his younger self had the sense to leave the gang after all those things. But he never for one second wished he hadn't met Neo, no matter what she did or didn't do. She was the best thing to ever happen to him.

He had failed to be more assertive with her. He could've told her to take a hike. He should've forced her out; she would've listened. But he was a sucker for her in truth, and once the waterworks began it was a done deal. Whether it was ice-cream or clothes, Neo always got what she wanted. And now he had let her stay in this mess of his making because she wanted to do so.

Roman sighed softly. He needed get in touch with his contact; see if they could wrangle them up some fake identification for when this was all over. He didn't believe for a second that it would matter, he knew that he and Neo were trapped now. She had chosen to tie herself to him. But the thought of it kept him sane, so he had to keep trying. They said no matter how grim or dark it gets, people like him always survived.

But the truth was, deep in his heart, Roman knew he was reaching the end of the line. He could only hope that Neo would be fine without him, because God knows he wouldn't be fine without her.

Cinder would have to be told Neo had agreed to do the rest of the job, and being the control freak that she was he would also have to detail to her the specifics of each and every heist he had planned. That would take some time.

Roman took one last deep puff of his cigar before throwing it to the ground and stamping it out. He looked at the ceiling and sighed heavily before trudging back to his office.

The strong survive and the weak die. It was the law of the land, from the birds in the sky to the bugs in the dirt. Everything on Remnant agreed to these terms. It was an unalterable feature of nature. He got this far, despite everything, by following these rules. Every cent he had ever earned was because he was strong.

And he knew deep down, that now he was weak. But he would keep struggling.

Because that was all that he knew.

* * *

Ozpin grimaced as he took a sip from his cup. He finally had managed to gather together his allies to discuss what Qrow had found on his mission. Yet as always petty disputes got in the way of things. James did not get on with Qrow, and neither did Glynda for that matter. Of course she did not really like James either so that proved problematic. It was at times like these in his storied and wizened life that he really questioned whether people ever really grew up.

Ozpin spoke up finally "Perhaps we can discuss the core issue here? The advances of the Queen are worrying enough as it currently stands, but this Revenant is a startling development."

Qrow glared at Ironwood his eyes burning with distaste for a second longer before nodding slowly. He turned to the Headmaster dusting himself off slightly. With a slight cough to clear his throat he began.

"Right, so I have next to no idea as to what this thing is."

Ozpin nodded.

"But if you want to know how it works, I have been looking at the method it follows," said Qrow, "The Revenant comes into a village, it started with small towns but larger settlements are on the table now. When it arrives Grimm follow it. The Revenant will 'eat' the village with everyone in it and the Grimm will devour what remains. Every instance of this happening has been in no more than a couple of hours. That is too short a notice for Huntsmen or Huntresses to be sent."

Ironwood grunted approvingly before beginning to speak "Our specialists have come to the same conclusion, we know very little of how related it is to Salem. That is assuming it is at all."

The entire room quieted at that thought. The danger of a being such as Salem was already well established amongst the members of Ozpin's group, as they unofficially were known as, but the idea that another intelligent being commanded the Grimm was horrifying.

"Grimm are, as you all know, drawn likes moths to a flame when it comes to human negativity," said Ozpin, taking another sip from his mug, "but they also seem to flock around elder creatures. It is a weak theory with little to back it up, but it seems to make sense. Beowolves will form packs around Alphas rather than the Alpha itself forming the pack. An Ursa Major will not need to concern itself with finding Minors to aid it in hunts as they come to it. Judging from the legion of Grimm that are willing to follow the Revenant into its attacks, this being is old."

Glynda nodded sharply "I have been speaking with Bartholomew, while he says that the legends of the Revenants are mere myths he does find it interesting how old they are. They have been passed down since records first started in the area around Mistral, and he believes that the legends may be even older than that. The story has been spread by word of mouth for longer than anyone can remember."

"Honestly I am willing to bet it really is something primeval," said Qrow, "or at least older than anything else we have ever seen. With Salem and her minions running around, it is really that hard to believe that this thing is ancient? After all we all know what is sleeping under that mountain."

The Hunter gestured across the window to illustrate his point, and the rest of the room silently agreed with him. The idea of a Grimm Dragon inside a mountain was crazy, but all too real. Who knew exactly how long this Revenant had been about for, and how intelligent it really was?

"My agents have been investigating its pattern tirelessly," said Ironwood, "but I am still uncertain as to where it will strike next. That is of course assuming it even is following a pattern. If I could just be allowed to scour the countryside with the Atlesian Fleet I guarantee you I could smoke it out in a week."

"And scare the entirety of the Vale? The Grimm are getting more aggressive as it is! And you want to stir them up even more?" asked Glynda, her face growing red from frustration, "In case you are unaware the Vytal festival is not far off, the last thing we need is to increase the Grimm threat."

"Don't throw your toys out of the pram you two," said Qrow smirking before he pointed to Ironwood, "you have spent too long in the sky looking at things on a screen. There are other ways to track Grimm, and I think I know exactly where it is going next."

Qrow reached into his jacket before pulling out a small chip which he nonchalantly tossed to Ozpin. The Headmaster caught it, before plugging it in and waiting for an image to appear. A blue outline of the map of the Kingdom of Vale beamed into view, with several red crosses and a blue circle flickering across it. Qrow marched up to the hologram and pointed at one of the crosses.

"The first town it took was Braedon, I stayed there for a couple of days," said Qrow stopping for a brief second as his eyes narrowed, he composed himself before continuing, "after that it was Greenmill, then Ashton and finally Hollow Oaks. Each of these settlements was bigger than the last. It isn't systematically attacking every settlement it can find. The Revenant is hungry, and it is looking for larger meals."

Ozpin nodded slowly in interest, this was why he had chosen Qrow. When it came down to it he was undeniably the most effective Huntsman on Team STRQ, and perhaps one of the best currently active huntsmen on Remnant. Maybe not the strongest, but he was far smarter than his roguish nature let on. It was a shame that Summer was still not around to work with him, they had made quite the pair.

Qrow continued "That blue circle is the settlement of Kirkwall, it's only twenty kilometres from where Hollow Oaks used to be and it has three times the amount of people in it. It's been a week since the Revenant's last attack, and yet it has not attacked Kirkwall. I think I know why. The Revenant is not satisfied with the settlements anymore; with the increased Grimm activity being reported from all around Vale and Mountain Glenn, it seems obvious. It is coming here to eat."

Glynda gasped slightly, before looking to Ozpin "You plan to send Team RWBY to Mountain Glenn don't you?"

"I have heard rumours that the White Fang are operating in the area, but I wasn't sure whether it was worth it to send the Team there," said Ozpin, grimacing slightly, "If Qrow is right, then it behoves me not to dispatch them to investigate the area."

Goodwitch's face grew even more heated "You cannot possibly be thinking of sending children to hunt this thing, even a trained Huntsman is no match for this being alone."

Ironwood spoke up "It can tear Bullheads out of the sky Oz, and was powerful enough to fight off one of my most powerful soldiers. You cannot hope to stop it with just a single Team."

"Who ever said anything about a single team?" questioned Ozpin taking yet another sip of his coffee, "I will dispatch RWBY along with Team CFVY; they are second years and will have leagues more prowess and experience in hunting. I will send a teacher with them as well, that way a trained Huntsman can watch over them."

Glynda and Ironwood shared a look, although their outlooks on things differed in this moment they both shared the same mind with one another.

"I am sure Qrow would be willing to help out as well, wouldn't you?" continued Ozpin.

The Hunter's eyes narrowed as he remembered Mary and Raymond, who had been butchered by the beast. He spoke slowly but with a fierce determination.

"I'd be happy to."

The room quieted as Ozpin placed his cup down and glared at the General, who was taken back by the sudden hostility.

"You forget James, that your strongest soldiers are just that. Soldiers. Atlas has focused too much on recruiting for the Military in recent years, to the detriment of developing actual Huntsmen and Huntresses to fight the Grimm," said Ozpin.

Ironwood growled in return "You're an old friend Oz, and because of that I am willing to let that comment go, but never insult my troops in front of me again."

Ozpin stared at Ironwood, and the glaring match between the two grew tenser as neither seemed willing to break the gaze they were sharing. As the atmosphere grew tenser Glynda broke the gaze by placing a hand on Ozpin's shoulder, and he softened slightly.

"Of course I am sorry, I will try to be more considerate in the future," said Ozpin, although the look on his face seemed anything but genuine.

James did not understand the precedent that linking the military to Huntsmen and Huntresses set. At what point would it become apparent that Atlas' hunters were becoming glorified policemen or recruits for a burgeoning military force that expanded without end? At what point would the Grimm be forgotten and petty disputes between rival kingdoms would dominate the agenda of every student across the academies of Remnant? James was a valued ally, but James was also a fool who was too far gone to realise it yet.

"What about this new boy you found, what do we know about him?" asked Ironwood.

"Gerhardt is an oddity, next to nothing specific is known of his origins," said Ozpin, focusing his efforts on the new topic of conversation, "I had hoped that by having the first years befriend him he would open up even a tad and tell us something useful. But this has yet to bear fruit. When Professor Port speaks with him he says very little, and while he is diligent in classes he does not really engage. We are lax with him, but he never breaks rules regardless. It is outside school with Teams RWBY, JNPR and CFVY that he shows some semblance of normal behaviour."

Ironwood nodded slowly, irritated by but accepting of the answer. There were so many variable that he did not understand at the moment, what was one more?

"In fact he has become quite fond of Velvet Scarlatina a second year student of Team CFVY who had to repeat the year," continued Ozpin before pointing at Qrow, "and your youngest niece."

Qrow bared his teeth slightly, before he calmed himself. The boy was as far as he knew not dangerous; there was no way that Oz would let him close to Ruby otherwise. He owed Summer that much, especially considering that the mission she had died on was ordered by Ozpin.

"That's another thing, while Bartholomew was looking into the Revenant and the stories he discovered some drawings of another myth," said Glynda, before waving her crop as an unearthly glow took root in the centre of the room.

The image that manifested was two dimensional, but it depicted a remarkably clear scene. What seemed to be a holy man, who stood unnaturally tall with odd tree-like growths sprouting from his back like wings, appeared to be wailing as six armoured figures surrounded him. The Knights all appeared to be in stages of grief, some holding on to each other while others lay collapsed in despair on the ground. Foreign runes completed the ensemble scratched deep into the rock.

Qrow's eyes widened in recognition of the design of the Knights, it wasn't an exact match but he had seen it before. One of them had taken her.

"He discovered this as he looked for some documentation on the first records of the Revenant. He says that the runes are mentioning the loss of an individual, and that this somehow brought ruin to a kingdom," explained Glynda as she gestured to the image, "but apart from some hyperbole on the disappearance of this person bringing darkness to the kingdom very little can be taken from it. That is until you read the inscription fully. It mentions the person's name at the end."

"What does it say?" asked Ironwood with baited breath.

"Lost Knight Gerhardt."

Qrow bolted out the door ignoring the calls of Ozpin and Glynda. He needed to find his niece now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I was delayed as I predicted I would be but not as long as I imagined. So I thought I would get this chapter out a bit earlier because I could. Things will be heating up next chapter so I hope you are all looking forward to it. There should be no delay for next week as far as I currently know. I'll see you all soon.


	9. Chapter 9

Jaune finished his last set of push-ups, and looked up at Gerhardt who sat cross-legged writing in his book as usual. Gerhardt kept an eye on him, but it was mostly to make sure that he did his exercises correctly. Eventually, when Jaune had run the gauntlet of exercises Gerhardt had set, they could actually practice sword-fighting. It was tough, but Jaune could not deny that it was making him fitter and healthier by the day. It was surprising that Gerhardt apparently did this regularly, because he was looking sicker and sicker by the day.

Of course Jaune did not dare ask him about that after the last time, his body still hurt.

The dance was coming up, and he was in a tight spot. He had asked Weiss several times, he'd written her songs, poems and jokes but none of it ever seemed to work. She was not interested in him whatsoever. It was not fair, he was certain if she just gave him a chance then she would not regret it. Pyrrha had suggested being completely honest with her, but he couldn't work up the courage to do it.

"Is something distracting you?" asked Gerhardt looking up from his book.

He was crazy; there was no way that Gerhardt of all people would give good advice.

"Is this about the Schnee?"

Jaune's eyes widened "How did you know about that?"

"Ruby told me," said Gerhardt before he closed his book over slightly, "you haven't a chance."

Jaune winced, that one hurt.

"That's not really that fair, I mean Pyrrha says that if I am honest with her she'll accept," said the Hunter, stopping his push-ups and sitting up to look at his trainer.

"No. The girl has absolutely no interest in you. She is smitten with that blue-haired boy, Neptune was his name if I remember correctly," explained Gerhardt.

"Ruby told you?" asked Jaune.

"Ruby told me."

Damn, as much as he hated to admit it Ruby was well-versed in what Weiss and the rest of Team RWBY were thinking. If she said it, then it must be true. After all Gerhardt had zero interest in relationships so he would not lie, and Ruby was too kind-hearted to do that either.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," said Jaune looking downcast, "maybe I should just go to the Dance alone or maybe not at all."

Gerhardt nodded slowly, he really could care less. As long as the boy stopped thinking of her during his lessons it did not matter to him. Besides who cared about some foolish dance? It seemed only Ruby was of the same mind as him in this regard, she understood that there was more to life than petty relationships. Although he was fairly certain her hatred for the dance was born of her desire not to wear heels, she described the concept as being 'wrong'.

He winced slightly as a tremor passed through him, but he bit his tongue and kept going. The Eyes were wreaking havoc on him, but he would not pay them mind. That was all he could do.

As Gerhardt stood up and prepared to order Jaune to assume a stance he noticed that the boy looked beyond downcast. The Knight looked over to Pyrrha and Ruby who were still meditating. He focused on the Mistralian for a moment longer. Ruby had said something about Jaune and Pyrrha at some point. Curse his bleeding heart.

"I had thought that you wanted to be a hero? Why then do you sit there and cower, not brave enough to go to this dance?" asked Gerhardt.

"I told Pyrrha weeks ago that I was tired of being a bystander; that I wanted to be somebody; that I wanted to fight," said Jaune to himself, "but it seems even after all this time I still can't work up the courage to do things for myself."

Gerhardt sighed wearily. He was no hero, nor a champion so perhaps he was not the best to advise the boy on what to do and what not to do. But sitting and doing nothing was getting Jaune nowhere.

"Go do it then, talking to me about your plight does not fix it. Change the situation yourself, or you will never escape it," said Gerhardt, before pointing his finger at Jaune, "If you want to be a hero then go be one. If you want to bring a person to the dance, go find one. But if you want to sit here and complain, go somewhere else. I shan't entertain you."

Jaune thought it through, it was harsh and not very pleasant but true. Gerhardt was right; there was no point to not changing his situation. He had been a bystander for so long in his life that it was almost unbelievable to actually take a hold of where his life was going. It may just be a simple dance, but it meant so much more to him. He wanted to improve himself from the dance onwards, to be brave and to no longer be foolish. To be the hero his ancestors had been.

But who did he ask instead of Weiss?

"Why don't you go for Pyrrha?" asked Gerhardt, cocking his head slightly.

"Pyrrha?" asked Jaune, "Are you kidding me? Every boy in the school has probably asked her out, she would never go with a loser like me."

Oh for Aldrich's sake. Did the boy ever listen?

""Do you want her?" snarled Gerhardt, with a sudden burst of aggression in his voice.

Jaune thought to himself. Pyrrha was his best friend, Ruby was his first in Beacon and he would never forget that but Pyrrha was there for him always. She had helped him with his training; she had saw potential in him when no one else did. She never looked down at him despite the fact that he was pathetic compared to her. She was funny. She was kind. She was generous.

She was Pyrrha.

"Yeah," whispered Jaune suddenly nodding to himself and looking Gerhardt straight in the eye, "I do want her, thank you Gerhardt."

Good now he could go back to teaching the boy without him looking like his dog died. As he once again prepared to get Jaune to start fighting him the boy marched over towards Pyrrha. The Knight scowled as he watched the Huntsman walk over, the boy picks now of all times to decide to take charge of his life? Could he not have waited ten more minutes? Gerhardt decided that he had best do something else productive while this went down.

Pyrrha looked at Jaune with surprise. Ruby also appeared confused at the situation looking to Gerhardt who had started writing in his book again, not paying attention at all.

"Jaune, are you okay?" asked Pyrrha standing up to face her team leader.

Jaune grabbed her and kissed her quickly, and to his surprise Pyrrha did not resist and instead allowed it. He let go, and looked at her. She was blushing slightly, but there was a hint of a coy smile on her face, and a slight shimmer across her body.

"Pyrrha will you go to the dance with me?" asked Jaune.

"Of course I will," said Pyrrha smiling, as she wrapped her arms around Jaune.

Ruby squealed in delight before hopping to her feet and shooting out a rapid string of words "You two have lots to talk about so see you later bye!"

She sped over to Gerhardt with her semblance, and pulled him out of the training room as fast as she could. Gerhardt did not resist and let her pull him away.

* * *

"A week of training with you and Jaune's a Casanova! You never told me you were a love guru Ger," said Ruby, an infectious smile on her face.

A love guru? What was that? If she meant that he was a skilled matchmaker, then she would be disappointed. Jaune was compatible with Pyrrha, that was all there was to it. The boy was just as dull as the hilt of a broken sword, all he needed in life was to be pointed at something and then he would do it. Gerhardt could respect that; they were alike in that field. Although Jaune was obsessed with being a 'hero' a petty delusion but one Gerhardt would not go out of his way to shatter. Pyrrha was the right person to guide him when the boy needed it.

Another tremor wracked his body, and the Outrider hissed in pain. He looked at his companion who was staring at him in worry.

"I'm going back to my room Ruby. Coco, Yatsuhashi and Fox will be showing up later tonight for a 'get together'," said Gerhardt simply, trudging along the corridors slowly his book hanging from his hand.

Ruby followed swiftly, most would take what Gerhardt had said as an indication that he did not want to talk anymore but it was more of an invitation. He never asked her to come with him anywhere, but he never complained when she did. Plus when Weiss got mad at her Gerhardt was fine with allowing her to hide in his room. Velvet was cool with it as well, so everything worked out.

Plus Gerhardt was not so fond of strawberries; Ruby was working on fixing that, so he had no problem with her eating the ones that Velvet kept. In return Velvet was given cookies and some of Weiss 'liberated' history notes to be copied to help her in the repeat classes she was taking. Life was good with the current arrangement she had.

They soon reached the room, and entered. It was empty as usual, as Velvet had been studying a lot in the library recently for her History exam coming up next week. Ruby knew the other reason was that she was helping to organise the dance with Yang, Coco, and Weiss. That left Gerhardt alone, but he did not seem to mind that much at all.

He sat at his desk, while Ruby lounged haphazardly on Velvet's bed. The Knight began to write as usual. Ruby closed her eyes, feeling tired. She would take a nap, Gerhardt would not mind and Velvet probably wouldn't either. With the justification of her acts completed, Ruby went out like a light snoring softly.

The Outrider bit his tongue, as he yet another felt an agonising pain shoot through his body; he rubbed his head slightly to assuage the migraine coming on. He hurt all over. The pain was cyclical, waxing and waning but never truly leaving.

Gerhardt withdrew his chime and rang it quietly to avoid waking Ruby, and sighed as the comforting warmth surged through him. The Deep quieted the pain, but did not fade. That was enough however, a Knight learned to take pleasure in the small things.

The Outrider blinked tiredly, and shook his head in confusion. He felt wrong, the Deep felt muted and the Profaned Flame felt cold almost. What was happening to him? He rang the chime more loudly this time, gasping as a massive amount of the Deep coursed through him, and he felt the Profaned Flame kindle once more. He looked around the room rapidly.

Where was he?

The Outrider gazed over his shoulder at the bed to see the sleeping Dancer.

How? How was she here? She had left to follow Vordt, with the others. And yet there she slept, delicately on the bed. His sister. His mother. His friend.

Gerhardt had so many things he wanted to say to her, before she left him behind. How he wished he had told her that he loved her, but the Pontiff had forbidden him to. The Pontiff was not here now, and he could finally thank her for what she did for him in the only way he could now that the Eyes had begun to affect her.

He stood up and walked over to the bed, and sat down beside his fellow Outrider, beginning to stroke her brown hair; a sign of former Irithyllian Royalty of the Ruined Cathedral. They were heirs to the City of the Gods, before their fall of course. Most native Irithyllians had white hair to match their pale skin. Gerhardt had always stood out, because his paleness was born totally from a lack of sunlight rather than a natural tint, and his red hair was rife with ash. But the Dancer had been different as well; she had been royalty once before his Holiness had wisely deposed the tyrants and taken Irithyll under his watchful eyes.

"Why did you speak out again the Pontiff?" murmured Gerhardt, softly running his hand along the Dancer's hair, "your kind had their time, you were spared their fate and yet you never returned his kindness."

Ruby opened her eyes slightly, and stared at her friend who was uncharacteristically staring at her tenderly, while running his hands through her hair. She wanted to speak, but was still too groggy to give voice to her thoughts so she listened as Gerhardt spoke.

The Knight's expression began to darken "You were so foolish Dancer; you could have been so much more than an Outrider. You could've been a Queen! If only you had done as he said!"

Ruby struggled as his hands trailed down from her hair to her neck, wrapping tightly around her. The metal dug painfully into her skin and tears began to leave her eyes in fear.

"I tried so hard to serve him, and it seems I have failed like you did. But now I will do something right for once. I shall show you mercy, before the Eyes completely take you like they did Vordt, Dietrich, Aelfric, and Romund. Before they take me as well," said Gerhardt softly.

The metal claws on Ruby's throat tightened even further, and blood trickled from her.

"Sleep well Danc-, no Eliana. Please sleep well."

Gerhardt began to throttle Ruby, as she desperately punched and hit at his hands. But the Knight's blue eyes did not falter, glassy as they were, and only hardened as she struggled.

Just as Ruby felt her consciousness fading, she heard the door open. Faint footsteps suddenly broke into a sprint as a panicked voice shouted.

"Gerhardt what are you doing!" cried Velvet, as she grabbed onto the Knight's shoulders and wrenched him backwards.

The pair struggled, but his hands came loose as Ruby rolled off the bed coughing in pain and crying in fear. As she looked up she saw Velvet trying to force Gerhardt into a headlock, although she was failing.

A sudden elbow to the stomach forced Velvet to release the Knight and he put her out of commission suddenly by slamming her viciously into the wall with a sickening crack. Velvet yelped in pain, but she was not out. She grabbed the Knight by his ankles and pulled him to the ground, wincing from the pain she felt.

The Outrider moved towards Velvet, frowning deeply and with a crazed look in his eyes. He grabbed the Faunus. She struggled horribly but despite a valiant resistant proved unable to push her attacker off. She felt herself beginning to lose breath, as her partner choked the life out of her. Just as she was about to fully resign herself, a trio of footsteps could be heard and Gerhardt was thrown off of Velvet.

The Knight screamed in rage, as he feebly scratched and writhed in the grip of the giant that had him. But Yatsuhashi's hold was steel, and the help of Fox wrapping his arms around Gerhardt as well sealed the deal preventing the Knight from moving.

Coco rushed over to Velvet, checking her and breathing a sigh of relief. Once she propped the Faunus up in a safer position, she ran to Ruby and checked her too. A soft smile came from the second-year as she inspected her junior.

"You're a tough kid Ruby," said Coco, before pulling Ruby to her feet.

Team CFVY's leader frowned as she looked at the feral beast that was screaming between her two teammates. They needed to get some staff members now; she had never seen anyone quite like this, especially someone as stoic as Gerhardt.

"He's sick," said Ruby miserably, as she unconsciously rubbed at her neck, "he doesn't know who I am. He thinks I am someone else, and he doesn't recognise you all. Look at him!"

The bloodshot eyes and panicked expression of Gerhardt said it all. The Knight looked beyond terrified, as he gritted his teeth and twisted like a madman in the grip of Fox and Yatsuhashi.

Suddenly Gerhardt began to speak, his pupil widening unnaturally "I do not want to die here, I just want to go home. Please! I am not ready to go!"

A red aura began to gather around the struggling knight, and suddenly his struggling stopped along with his panicked screaming. Instead a feral snarl escaped his mouth. Yatsuhashi screamed in pain, as Gerhardt bit into his arm completely breaking through his aura in one fell swoop. He dropped the Knight, leaving only Fox holding him who was swiftly pushed to the ground and head-butted.

The Knight stood up and began trudging towards Ruby again. Coco stood protectively between the two, her hand firmly on her handbag should she need her weapon. The Headmaster would kill her for tearing up the dorms, but this was a situation that warranted it.

Gerhardt's advance stopped. He blinked slightly, and his entire body relaxed as the aura left him. He looked confusedly at Ruby, who gazed in terror back at him from behind Coco.

What had he done?

Gerhardt fled, immediately running out of the room and down the corridor. He had to leave as quickly as he could. Vale could hide him; he just needed to get to the Bullheads before anyone else figured out what he had done.

Stupid, he was so stupid for agreeing to be here, he should've stayed in the damn forest.

Just as he thought himself safe, he slammed into a caped figure. Black haired, some stubble and with red eyes. The man's expression immediately hardened as he laid eyes on Gerhardt. He grabbed the Knight, and before he could even fight himself out of the grip he found himself going out the window with the Hunter.

Gerhardt fell helplessly to the ground, his back screaming in protest as the pavement cracked underneath the weight of his fall. The man wasted no time pulling out his sword and pressed it against the Outrider's throat.

"Remember me?" snarled Qrow, as he dug the sword deep enough to draw blood from the Knight.

Gerhardt shook his head in confusion "Who are you? What do you want?"

Qrow growled, before retracting his sword and grabbing the Outrider pulling him up by his metal collar. He then tossed the Knight across the courtyard smirking. The metal figure slammed into the fountain kicking up a pile of dust.

"Then I'll make you remember," said Qrow, bringing Harbinger into its scythe form. He was not screwing around today.

Gerhardt grunted to himself, as he stumbled out of the fountain. Getting out of Beacon should not have been hard. This was an unforeseen complication. He would have to deal with his attacker before he went anywhere. They would not end him here; he had come too far to die in some far-off land.

He would see Irithyll again.

Gerhardt unclipped his helm from his side and donned it, breathing in a sigh of comfort as the familiar and tight feel of the metal across his skin. He drew his sword, immediately shifting into a halberd as he took note of the opponent's weapon. The man was a scythe-user, same as Ruby. He had been practicing against such weapons.

But caution was paramount in this situation. The foe he faced was a great deal stronger and more experienced than Ruby or anyone else he had fought so far in this world. He could feel the ache in him from how the man had thrown him. Part of him was excited like a child given a new toy. The Eyes were overjoyed, finally a worthy fight.

Gerhardt stalked forward, his halberd scraping the ground. His attacker similarly marched forward with a vicious grin on his face. The two fighters were of similar height, and while Gerhardt was perhaps better built if physically smaller nevertheless he could see the strength of the man. Size mattered little in his world, or in this one.

Qrow launched himself forward immediately striking his scythe at his opponent, intent on tearing his head off. The halberd caught the move and pushed it to the side but the Knight could not retaliate as the Huntsman danced away as quickly as he had come.

The polearm went forward, as Gerhardt threw his entire body into the move slashing at the Huntsman who again stayed firmly out of reached. The halberd came too far forward landing behind its target, and before the Outrider could pull it back he was punished for his mistake with a powerful slash across his helm.

Gerhardt was incensed and pushed forward again swinging wildly. He was not some common hollow. He was an anointed Knight! He would not be made a fool of! And yet his attacks once again missed their mark. The scythe hooked his feet, and launched him into the air. Gerhardt felt sick as he fell to the ground, slamming once more into the hard concrete.

Qrow watched his opponent slowly sit up, it felt good to have some revenge but he was worried. The guy he was fighting was nowhere near as strong as a being of his age should be, and Qrow knew for a fact that he was not a top-tier power when it came to Huntsmen.

Whatever the case was, he probably wouldn't kill him. If this was Lost Knight Gerhardt then they needed a lot of answers. How had he survived this long? What did he want? Oz would have a field day with this guy, especially as it would seem that he was even older than the Wizard was.

A crowd was beginning to form around their fight, as students from all over Beacon were gathering to see the carnage unfolding. They were unaware of how serious the situation was.

Gerhardt ripped his chime from its pouch on his belt recalling a tale of great healing, his wounds healed well, and judging by the look on his opponent's face that was something that he had not expected. The Deep coalesced within him, before spilling out onto his skin and straightening him as he stood up again. He felt confident once more, Aldrich was with him. The Pontiff was with him. He could not fail.

Qrow braced Harbringer as the Knight ran towards him like a bat out of hell. The guy began thrusting with the polearm focusing on skewering him, but it was not hard to dodge. Qrow slid around the Knight, and raised his scythe to stab into the man's back. However a metal boot disagreed with his plan as he found himself pushed back from the solid kick that had crashed into his face. Qrow's nose gushed blood, and he grimaced.

Ok. The guy hit hard.

Gerhardt leapt forward raising his halberd to pulverise the Huntsman. The earth shattered, and the Knight growled as he saw the Huntsman standing a few feet away looking a little worse for wear but still relatively fine. The Knight ripped his weapon from the ground, sending fragments of earth flying at his opponent, who raised his scythe to block them. This was proving more trouble than it was worth.

"Come here!" said Gerhardt, one hand on his halberd while the other grabbed a nearby student who struggled but was pulled in to the field.

Qrow grimaced. Great, the Knight had taken a hostage. This was going to be a pain. He wiped the blood from his nose, and began to think of ways he could get the student out of the situation.

"You know, I thought I was fighting an actual warrior," said Qrow, "not a coward. But I guess I was mistaken? Why don't you put the kid down, and come fight me like a man, huh?"

Gerhardt's common sense told him to not listen to the man's taunting, he needed out of the gods forsaken academy, but his honour screamed that he take the challenge. Aldrich damn his arrogance, but he could not ignore it. He was no coward. The student whimpered slightly, before Gerhardt tightened his grip on him.

"Have him then!"

The Knight flung the student at Qrow, who dropped his guard to catch the student discarding Harbringer in the process. He wanted to rely on the student's aura, but he had no idea as to how hard the Knight had thrown him. The Lost Knight had broken his nose straight through his aura by just kicking him; it was very possible that the student would not survive being thrown.

Qrow caught the boy, and with a look told him to get out of the situation. As the boy scrambled into the crowd Qrow looked up to see a metal boot impacting with his face again. He groaned as he was pushed to the ground, the Knight viciously grinding his foot on the Huntsman's face. The boot then lifted, and Qrow was lifted and thrown over to his weapon. The Knight stopped and patiently waited, as Qrow picked Harbringer up and turned around to face him.

So he had honour then? That was cute.

Qrow readied himself, before blinking in shock as the Knight dug his halberd into the ground again. The weapon became wreathed in a blackish orange, as flames spread themselves like vines across the halberd. The polearm was once again ripped out of the ground, and his opponents armour began to engulf itself in fire as well.

The Outrider laughed softly, the Profaned Flame never let him down when it came to raw power. He gave an experimental stomp, smiling as the shockwave of fire exploded from his foot. He gazed at the Huntsmen and put two hands on his halberd. Now he would show him what a real warrior was.

Gerhardt stamped on the ground again, and in an inhuman show of speed he sped across the ground towards his opponent who seemed completely caught off guard by the move. The Halberd once again missed, but this time it did not matter as the flame did not. The huntsman hissed in pain, as his aura flashed to stop the fire that was trying to eat at him.

Qrow shook his head slightly backing away from the fight for a moment. That was new. When his opponent hit, the flame trailed behind him. That would make it harder to dodge the attacks from the Knight from this point onwards. His aura was telling him that he could not afford to be taking hits from his opponent whatsoever. This was proving a real pain.

The Outrider slid across the ground again, swiping at Qrow with his halberd before thrusting it when he failed to meet the hunter. A kick was then thrown into the mix, as Qrow pushed himself to dodge the absurd onslaught being thrown at him. Just as it seemed to fully end, Gerhardt shot forward bashing his shoulder into Qrow's chest crushing the air out of him and sending him to the ground. The halberd screamed downwards to spear the fallen huntsman.

A clang echoed as Harbringer barely held off the roaring halberd which was pulsating with flame. A frustrated growl came from Gehrhardt as he stubbornly pushed down harder trying again to kill Qrow. The huntsman grinned, and he brought the shotguns of his weapons directly at the eye slits of his target.

Gerhardt balked raising his right hand to guard his face successfully, but the weaker underside of his hand was not covered in the same thickness of metal that the other parts were and the Deep was already stretched thin protecting himself from the burning of the Profaned Flame. The shots tore into him, rending his hand into a bloody mess.

He screamed dropping his halberd to hold at his injured hand, which were gushing blood at a furious rate. Even Qrow seemed taken back by the damage he had done, what had happened to his opponent's aura?

"You cur!" screeched Gerhardt, as he stumbled backwards. The flames wreathing him began to dangerously pulse, as he felt his control loosening. He could not hold them; the only option was to tap off some of the pressure before things grew even worse. It was unlucky that the fire was so unstable; he had not suffered from this problem since the Pontiff had first instructed him on its usage.

The Profaned Flame spewed forward from Gerhardt's helm, as a black and orange sun was birthed from the abyssal fire that came from within him. He would incinerate the Huntsman, and everyone around him if necessary. They all would burn if they stood before him.

Qrow however ended the Outrider's plan as quickly as it began, loading a fire dust crystal quickly into Harbringer. He focused his aura as heavily as he could to protect himself from what undoubtedly would be a massive explosion.

"Get out of here now!" cried Qrow, as students immediately ran en masse from the ruined fountain and forbidden sun that was growing ever larger.

Once he knew that everyone had got a sizable distance away, Qrow fired.

The effect was instantaneous.

A massive explosion tore through the evening air and a thick black smoke layered what remained of the fountain. A sheet of ash covered all else, and in the wake of the deafening sound all else was quiet.

Qrow shakily got to his feet, and leaned on Harbringer for support. That had been beyond difficult, and even with his aura he smarted from that blast. His body ached regardless, and the blaring ringing in his ears was overpowering.

A figure shifted amongst the ash, and Qrow swore under his breath as the Knight stood up again. Smoke was billowing from his back and the Huntsman, despite the ringing in his ears, could hear the sizzling of flesh from beneath the armour. There was a pained cry as the scorched Knight ripped his helmet from his head with his remaining good hand.

A burned and bloodied visage glared at Qrow, one of its eyes was so badly seared that the eyelids had fused together. Skin peeled from him, making the Knight resemble tanned leather rather than a human being. The smell was overpowering, as Qrow felt sickened by the stench of cooked flesh. Clumps of burnt hair fell from the head of Gerhardt. He reached towards his halberd once more with his burnt but still functioning left hand.

"You've got to be kidding me, stay down!" said Qrow, as he raised Harbringer once more to fight.

The Outrider's body trembled, as he nearly collapsed again to the ground. His hand fell apart as skin trailed along his halberd covering it in charbroiled gore. He whined softly in wretched agony. He was ruined. Never had he been so injured. So humiliated. So defeated.

He couldn't even wield his weapon.

But he could still fight.

Gerhardt roared as he charged the Huntsman, diving under his swing and kicking the man with his melted boot. He pounced upon his opponent, trapping him under his metal knee. His left hand attempted to slam into Qrow's head, but the man arms twisted and turned as the aura barely held back the brutal assault.

The Knight raised his hand one last time, and shattered Qrow's aura. His hit savagely snapped the man's arm into two. However fatigue overtook him, and he felt himself sliding off his prey to the ground beside him.

No. He had failed.

The Knight would not be shamed further. The man would finish him and that would be it, but as he gazed to his coming death he found it wanting. The Huntsman gripped his broken arm, kneeling down beside his fallen foe instead. Qrow breathed a tired sigh of relief.

No, the Hunter couldn't possibly be so cruel.

"W-why?" whispered Gerhardt, his throat as charred as the rest of him, "Finish it! Let me die, please."

"This has gone too far," said Qrow, "you deserved this and more for what you did to her, but Oz needs answers out of you that he is not getting."

Gerhardt had no clue as to what the man was talking about. Her? Who was 'her'? He was innocent of any crime except wanting to go home, and now he was crippled.

The Knight's remaining eye focused on the Huntsman as he snarled "You will have nothing from me you bastard!"

Gerhardt reached into his charred pouch, withdrawing his parrying dagger with surprising speed considering his injuries. With a burst of power he thrust the dagger into his mutilator's stomach, grinning as blood spilled onto him. He drew it back and watched as the Huntsman stumbled.

Qrow covered the hole in his bleeding stomach, the blow hurt and he would need stitches but medical attention was close. He would live.

"You'll have to do a lot more than that-" began Qrow, only to cut off as he realised what the Knight had done. He had pushed him off.

Gerhardt closed his remaining eye, and stabbed the dagger firmly into his throat. He drew it across his neck gurgling as he felt the blood welling inside his mouth, before tearing the blade out and his jugular with it. He let his head rest, and the Eyes quieted as they felt their host's life drain away.

There was honour in this. It was a good death.

Finally. Silence.

Gerhardt's hand twitched and the dagger fell from it. The armoured gauntlet fell still as the Knight perished, his blood soaking into the singed cape that still protected him.

Qrow swore as he moved over to check the body, no heartbeat and no movement inside him. No one survived tearing their own throat out like that, regardless of how tough they were. A bit of him felt elated to see the corpse before him, but he realised his failure the moment he had heard death croak of the Lost Knight.

A legion of metal footsteps rumbled across the courtyard as Qrow turned to see a squadron of Atlesian Knights marching in tandem towards him and the corpse. They focused their guns directly on the body, as Ironwood marched up behind them accompanied by Glynda and Ozpin who had a furious expression on his face.

"To class now," shouted Glynda, as the remaining students rushed inside Beacon to escape the wrath of the Vice-Principal and to nurse some of the minor wounds they had taken.

Qrow stood up "I can explain Oz-"

"Please do. Please explain what possessed you to run and attack a student here. Please explain what led you to scar and mutilate him. Please explain what led to you sitting there and allowing said student to kill himself!" said Ozpin, his voice full of uncharacteristic rage.

"You don't understand he was the reason Summer died on that mission. I was there I saw him," said Qrow, coughing in pain as he felt the blood spilling from between his fingers, "Gerhardt was his name. I remember it!"

Ozpin sighed "Get him medical attention Glynda. James we will discuss this thoroughly in due time, I have a body to inspect. Perhaps if we are lucky we can glean something from his belongings or his biology."

Glynda allowed Qrow to rest on her shoulder, bringing the man towards the infirmary. Ironwood ordered the Knights to stand down, staring with displeasure at the scene of destruction. Ozpin knelt down to put his hand on the dead warrior.

Summer had died on mission; she had died because of Salem and her allies not some armoured figure. And yet Qrow had remained steadfast in his belief of this "Knight" that had killed her.

A Knight that only he had seen.

Qrow had said at the time that it had come from a portal of darkness, and sent a shockwave that had neutralised both his and Summer's semblance for just a split second before disappearing again. And that split second in the fight had gotten Summer killed. Ozpin had chalked it up to an illusion by Salem or one of her minions.

The truth was it was very likely that Qrow's semblance had played a role in Summer's death. That fact remained unuttered to all those who knew the woman, Taiyang and his daughters could never know. It was likely that Qrow himself knew that his role in the death of Summer could not be denied. The man drunk heavily for a reason.

Nevertheless the fact that Qrow recognised the armour was interesting; it proved already that Gerhardt was not as young as he looked. Or maybe he was? It was a crazy thought, but the way the boy looked was far too genuine. He was too childish in his actions, even despite surprising maturity on his part. Too naïve. Perhaps instead of living this long, he had been sent here? It was an interesting idea.

But if he was wrong, then Qrow had just caused the death of a being who was older than the Grimm.

Ozpin could only hope there were no repercussions to this.

A speck of ash from Gerhardt's corpse glowed slightly before cooling once more, as it whispered feebly under the evening sun. The cinder held flame yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys a bit late updating to A03 sorry, I hope you are all doing well and hope to see you all next Saturday.


	10. Chapter 10

"It was my fault," muttered Ruby, holding her head in her hands. Her crimson hair covered her eyes and tears.

Yang's temper flared as she turned to her sister "How could it be your fault? He attacked you, not the other way around."

Weiss sighed, Ruby had been despondent. Through the Dance she had been unable to take her mind off of her partner's guilt. Weiss was of the same mind as Yang, how could it have been Ruby's fault? Gerhardt just lost it. It was no one's fault, it was tragic and hard to believe but you had to get on with it. But Ruby couldn't. She had grown far too attached to Gerhardt to just let him go.

Weiss was no stranger to death of family and friends, the White Fang had seen to that, so maybe she was better adjusted to the whole situation. But what was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? Weiss had never gotten on with him that well. His death was sad, but honestly it meant very little to her as cold as it sounded. And she suspected that Yang and Blake were in agreement, even if Ruby's sister had spoken to him more.

Ruby was not however of the same opinion as the rest of her team, and that was where the problem was.

"I could've said something, he looked sick the entire day. I should've brought him to the Nurse, or I could've said something to the teachers. And when Uncle Qrow was fighting him I should have gone out and stopped it, but I just sat there in the room and did nothing!" cried Ruby, pulling at her hair.

Blake spoke up "Ruby, you almost died. I don't think you get that, Gerhardt almost killed you. Death is terrifying, especially when you aren't ready for it. Of course you sat in the room and did nothing! You are just a child Ruby; you are younger than all of us. You aren't ready for that kind of thing."

Weiss said nothing while Yang gave an affirmative nod to Blake's input. Ruby shot a hurt look at Blake, though she said nothing. Maybe they were right, she had tried so hard to do things well. But she hadn't. She had not caught Torchwick, she had not helped her friend and now she had let him die. Maybe she was too young to be a huntress.

A gloved hand fell on her head, and ruffled her hair before bringing her into a hug. Yang smiled slightly "You're a tough kid Ruby, don't ever forget that. But you ain't perfect, no one is. Our team needs its leader to have her head in the game, and I need to have my sis thinking straight, especially today. This is the first time we are going on a real mission, we have to do well. And I know we can do it with you leading us. Ger and I had disagreements, but I don't think for a second he would argue with me that we shouldn't give this our all."

Ruby stopped sniffling and nodded glumly. Yang was right, she was always right. Gerhardt hated people sitting there and doing nothing, she was insulting his memory by sitting here crying. It was just hard to believe, she had not lost anyone since Mom. She wasn't used to it yet.

"Ok, let's go then," said Ruby, pulling herself off the bed and shouldering her pack for the mission. She then trudged over to the door.

All the other three members of Team RWBY shared concerned looks, before gathering their things and following Ruby out the door. Yang worried to herself, her dad had held back on sending Zwei over when he heard about the events that had occurred. It was a miracle he hadn't come to snatch Ruby and bring her home permanently, but he loved his little Rose too much for that. Besides Yang was pretty certain dogs weren't allowed at Beacon.

JNPR's room opened, and Jaune and Pyrrha walked out holding hands but with a similar melancholic expression. Ruby looked and them, and gave them a slow nod which was returned in kind. The trio quickly closed into each other, giving each other a brief hug before separating and going their different ways. No words were said, but none were needed.

As Team RWBY walked down the corridor, they found themselves accompanied by CFVY. Their second year partners for the mission to Mountain Glenn. The gloom that was over RWBY was present in them as well, with Velvet looking particularly affected.

As they finally approached the hanger, seeing a waiting Bullhead, Coco broke the silence "Look, we can't be like this the entire mission. So it stops here. We can mourn when we are done with this, but if you lot want to be huntresses then you need to put the mission before all else. That means you Ruby."

The girl stiffened, but nodded.

"The Headmaster suggested that we partner up between our teams during the mission. He says it'll help with you guys becoming huntsmen, and I agree with him honestly," said Coco, taking the lead as she stepped on to the ramp of the bullhead before turning to address Team RWBY, "It never hurts to learn from people with experience, let me tell you. Yang, you'll go with Yatsu and Blake you go with Fox. Ruby you are with Velvet and I will be your partner Weiss. We'll spend time together on this mission; we'll talk to each other. If any of you guys wanna get anything off your chest, you can tell us and we'll keep it to ourselves."

They newly made partners looked at each other, before Team RWBY collectively nodded. Coco beckoned for them to follow her into the Bullhead. Once seated, they took note of Qrow sitting quietly in the corner of the aircraft drinking as usual.

Ruby closed her eyes, and tried to sleep. She couldn't blame her Uncle, she loved him too much and he assured her there was a reason for what he did. She just wanted to know what his reason was, he would tell her nothing.

Velvet sat down beside Ruby, and while she did not say anything the younger girl found comfort in the Faunus' presence. Velvet slowly wrapped her hand around Ruby and pulled her into a tight embrace letting the girl cry softly and sleep on her. The girl was taking this badly; of course Velvet herself was not exactly a bulwark in a sea of emotions with the loss of Gerhardt. He had only been around for a semester really, but he had grown on her. His death would be something that she would struggle to get over for quite some time. But she would get over it.

Velvet could only hope Ruby would too.

* * *

Ruby awoke suddenly, rubbing her eyes and still seeing that the Bullhead.

"Alright guys, we're about a klick or two out from Mountain Glenn. So I am setting the ground rules, and while I ain't a history teacher I can tell you a bit about the area," said Qrow, gripping onto a handle to steady himself, "You stick with me until we set up for the night, you heard what Coco said as well so stay close to your partner from the other Team."

They all nodded.

"The Seconds-Years probably know already, but you guys might not," said Qrow staring at Weiss in particular, "Mountain Glenn was an attempt by the Vale council to expand the territory of Vale and take back land from the Grimm. In the beginning, it was a success. Every big shot was heading out to Mountain Glenn to get a 'new life' as it was. Unemployment was a problem at the time, but there was a lot of work in construction at Mountain Glenn as they were basically building the city from the ground up. Things were good there, and thousands prospered as it was so easy to get there from Vale, you took a train to and from. It was safe. But it never stays that way, the Grimm began to be drawn in to the area; part of the reason was a scientist interested in experimenting on Grimm but that's a whole other story. The Grimm became obsessed with Mountain Glenn to a huge degree, even for them."

Qrow stopped to drink from his flask, before pocketing it again. The huntsman looked out of the aircraft, seeing ahead the ruins of the once proud settlement. He sighed wearily before turning to Weiss again.

"Mountain Glenn does not have the natural defences that Vale has, so when the Grimm came knocking daily it became harder and harder to fend them off even with the aid of Huntsmen and Huntresses," said Qrow, "The militia couldn't do much either to stop the Grimm, not that the Council would send it away from Vale. The attacks became near constant, and the local council had the idea of retreating underground making the city mostly subterranean. It wasn't a bad plan, but the Vale Council had the miners keep working for some stupid reason. One day while mining they blew up part of the cavern, which revealed thousands of subterranean Grimm. It was a massacre, and the Vale Council decided that it was safer to just seal off the tunnels. No evac was held, they were left to die and that was it. Mountain Glenn is the world's largest tomb."

There was a sobering silence, and Weiss couldn't help but think about how horrible that was. So many lives lost. So many families torn apart. So many stories ended. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, so she certainly was not naïve. The SDC had its share of disasters, with mines collapsing with the workers inside, or even discovering a pockets of Grimm when excavating a new vein of dust; the SDC had never closed them off however, not even with the Faunus workers who were looked down upon. She did not want to imagine what was going on in the heads of those that had sealed the tunnels. Did they hear the screaming? Or was it just silence?

Who knows? The ones who did it likely would not say, and the ones who heard it weren't here to tell.

The Bullhead lurched as it landed placing itself in the middle of a firmly urban but decayed scene. Some ruined cars lay abandoned and rusting to the side next to upheaved pavements and overgrown signs while the glass windows of the buildings lay shattered, opening up to the flora that grew through them. There was a stark beauty to the dead city. It was a concrete jungle giving way to a forbidden forest.

A low and calming wind whispered across the street, tickling the back of Weiss' neck. She shivered involuntarily as she looked around the city. This wasn't right. And what they were seeing was not even the tomb. That lay below the ground.

They said the most beautiful things were often the most deadly, and while there was beauty to be found in the ruins of Mountain Glenn, as she saw it, there was also death. She could feel it.

"Alright guys gather up; from now on you listen to me and listen well. Team RWBY this is your first mission as actual Huntresses," said Qrow scanning the street with a wary eye as he spoke "even if you are still training. So play it smart. CFVY I think you know the drill. Stay safe, and watch each other's backs alright?"

There was a collective nod from all the students. Qrow took point wandering in front of the group and gesturing for them to follow. It was past mid-day, around four in the afternoon he would wager, and already he needed to consider a place for them to set up camp. Night could come in faster than one expected, and the Grimm were more dangerous in the dark. Their murky hides made them harder to see, even if the eyes and bone still gave some of them away. Better safe than sorry.

"So what do we do then Uncle Qrow?" asked Yang, a tinge of sarcastic teasing present in her voice.

"We find a building firecracker, and we put our stuff in it and when night comes we go back to it and get real cosy there. You can even straighten your hair."

Yang's eyes lit up "Really?"

"No."

Coco smirked at Qrow's answer. She liked him; she liked Yang as well too. It almost made her wish she was her unofficial partner and not Weiss'. Speaking of the heiress she seemed rather spaced out, clearly not all there. She wasn't close to Gerhardt particularly so that couldn't be the reason; she would give her some lien for her thoughts later. Not that some lien would mean much to the SDC heiress. But hey who knows?

"The looks good, we'll sleep here," said Qrow, pointing to a ruined shop with the door rotted away and the foundation crumbling, some peeling paint still lingered on the shop showing that it had been a grocers of some kind.

The Huntsmen and Huntresses moved in, weapons ready in case any Grimm had made their home in the crumbling building. Coco instinctively took point, with Yatsuhashi following close behind raising his great-sword. The pair looked around the ruined aisles; the food long consumed by animals or in some other way disposed of. A small little room was off to the side, and Coco recognised it as the remains of a café that was built as a side area to the shop. The chairs and tables lay barricaded against the doors and windows, but otherwise the room was in surprisingly good state. The only thing that betrayed its age was the huge layer of dirt that coated the room.

"Yatsu?"

"Got it," said the giant leaning his sword against the doorway before grabbing the table and throwing it outside into the aisles. It crashed into some of the shelves, startling Team RWBY.

"Uh, what are you doing?" asked Ruby meekly.

"They're clearing out the room," said Velvet softly, "we need the space to sleep in there. It isn't easy to fit nine people into a room, the tables have to go."

With a grunt Yatsuhashi deposited the last table on the other side of the room, and smiled slightly at his work. Coco gave the gentle giant an affirmative pat on the back, before nodding to Qrow who was watching the scene.

"Alright then kids, unpack your stuff and then go make yourself useful. See if you find anything, I want you all back here by nightfall."

* * *

Weiss once again shivered as she walked through the street, following Coco Adel who was surveying the area. They had run into a few beowolves along the way but such things were easily dealt with. She was more than capable of defeating the beasts herself, Coco made it overkill.

But there was something wrong with the city. Beyond it being merely dead. She just didn't know what it was.

"Something on your mind Ice Queen?" asked Coco cheekily grinning back at her junior.

Weiss glowed red in embarrassment "Even second-years know that nickname? I am going to gut Jaune for coming up with that."

"Yeah who cares kid, we all get nicknames at some point. At least yours was good," laughed Coco, "they used to call me the 'chic chick' back in first-year. That was bad."

"I take it that was because of your obsession with fashion?" asked Weiss, with a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't say it's an obsession. It's a hobby, a past-time. Every huntsman and huntress needs one!" defended Coco.

Weiss cocked her head slightly "What do you mean?"

"Well one day when you're a grown girl you'll be heading out into the big bad world to hunt Grimm," said Coco with a thoughtful expression on her face, "but you might be doing that alone. As you know Huntsmen and Huntresses go their separate ways once they graduate. They can choose to stay together of course, but to be honest it's not common. I love all my team mates, but I know Yatsu's heading back to Mistral when he's done here. Fox wants to return to Vacuo. Velvet and I are Vale girls, so we might stick together but I don't know."

Weiss was surprised by the topic of conversation, but it did give her food for thought. Would Ruby, Yang and Blake stick around with her after they were done at Vale? Weiss was not even sure if she would speak with her again when things were over and done. Even if they wanted to her father probably wouldn't let her. She was not brave enough to defy him completely like Winter had.

And why would they stick around with the stuck-up Princess like her? It was easy to be friends now, they relied on her, and she did on them, but what about when they no longer did. Would Ruby, Yang and Blake want to see her again? She wasn't sure, and it gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"A huntsman or huntress will see a lot of killing whether they want to or not. It can be hard for someone to go months without seeing a living person, killing monsters and sleeping rough, only to come to find the body of someone you couldn't save," explained Coco solemnly, "you have to keep it together whether you want to or not, or else you'll fold or even worse collapse. Hobbies help keep your marbles together, not that I need to have one yet really. I haven't seen anything that bad, but I will probably so I gotta be ready now. You have to be too."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, I don't have to be a genius to see you're a bookworm and a perfectionist. I get you, you have a reputation to uphold and all that but even at the Dance you weren't really cutting loose," said Coco, "if you bottle all that up you'll explode at some point and it won't be pretty."

Coco did have a point as much as Weiss did not like to admit it, but she had to keep on top of her game at all times. The Schnee family had a prestigious reputation, and that reputation was hers to uphold. She couldn't afford to take it easy all the time like Yang does and Ruby did. It would ruin her and, more importantly, ruin the family. She would not contribute to that reputation.

Besides it had been a stressful time recently, her partner was an emotional wreck and she could do next to nothing to comfort her. She wanted to damn it but what could she do? She wasn't a therapist.

Weiss spoke up "I haven't really had time; Ruby has been down since Gerhardt's passing. I don't know how to help her through it."

Coco sighed as she looked at the skyline of the dead city "Gerhardt was a piece of work whatever way you looked at him, but he had a way with people if they got to know him properly. Look I know Ruby is hurting over this, and I can't believe how well she is dealing with everything considering that her Uncle was the one who killer Ger, but it ain't your job to fix her. I asked to get Ruby paired up with Velvet because those two knew him the best and they'll be the ones to help each other get through it."

Weiss nodded slowly. It made sense. She still felt useless but not as bad as previously. Maybe there was hope yet.

"As for you, I think we need to have a crack at fixing you," muttered Coco.

Weiss opened her mouth to protest but was cut off.

"Don't give me that. Here's how this works, I tell you a bit about me and you tell me a bit about you. See it's a game of give and take."

The younger girl nodded agreeing to the demands of the elder. She could just keep quiet when she got asked something she didn't like.

"Right so I am a Vale girl like I said, came from a loving Papa and Mama you know the drill," said Coco, absently fixing her beret as they walked down the empty streets, "I still am not sure completely what drove me to be a huntress. I saw one years ago, never seen her since, and she was so beautiful walking through the street with her pride and power. I don't know, it's not the most inspiring story but I think I wanted that. So I went to Signal, and then I ended up here. That's all there is, I suppose. Again I know it ain't that profound, but that is life sometimes. What about you? Why did you come here?"

That was a difficult question. Weiss could give a thousand different answers. She wanted to protect and serve the people. She wanted to bring her family name honour that had been lost through years of discrimination and corruption. She wanted to escape her Father's grasp. She wanted to be more like Winter and she wanted to be less like Whitley. Want. Want. Want. No, there was more than that.

"I needed to make a choice," said Weiss softly, "all my life I had been told to do something or been expected to believe in another thing. I just had to choose for once, rather than be told my choice."

Coco grinned at Weiss "Now that's profound, can I go back and change my story? It falls flat after that."

Despite herself Weiss smiled at the elder girl's teasing. She didn't need Coco to tell her that she agreed with her reasoning. She didn't need to be complimented. She just needed someone to listen. Someone to treat her like a normal person. She had found that in her team, and now it seemed that it could all fall apart like a broken mirror.

"Look kid, I don't want to preach to the choir," said Coco, "you and I both know you got a lot of things swimming in your head about what you should do and what you have to do. What lies in the future is up to you and luck really. Just keep your head on your shoulders, its hard being a huntress and it's even harder being a Schnee despite what I am sure you think. But you're a nice person honestly, and as far as I can tell I would have no problem with you watching my back."

Weiss felt a warm feeling inside her, and she smiled softly "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

The pair walked for a while longer, and Weiss thought over what Coco had just said to her. It made sense, was she just overthinking things? Did she really have to try as hard as she did? All Weiss ever wanted was freedom, and yet it seemed she was caged even when she was thousands of leagues from her father.

A howl interrupted her thoughts, and Coco smiled slightly at the noise. Weiss readied Myrtenaster preparing to face the beowolves. Soon enough the Grimm spilled forward from an alleyway, charging straight towards them. Coco was on it like a moth to flames, reading her chain-gun and tearing through the area, she cared little for drawing more Grimm in. That only made it fun.

Coco cut through the Grimm like a scythe through grass, but some inevitably got by; two Beowolves charged towards Weiss frantically and she became puzzled by their behaviour. Steeling herself Myrtenaster found its mark inside one of the Grimm's hide killing it, but as Weiss turned to the final one she saw it run straight by her as if she were not there. The whimpering it made frightened her even further.

Coco looked at Weiss with a stern expression as she too saw what the other had seen "Beowolves don't run, ever."

Hyperbole of course, but those mutts that had just died trying to get by them were little better than new-borns. They did not possess the intelligence to retreat, what had spooked a Grimm?

The howl sounded again, but this time Weiss listened to it. Unlike the powerful and clean roars of a Beowolf this sounded more wet and sickly. It was a screech full of venom and furore. And it was getting closer.

A massive Beowolf stalked around the corner, and Weiss immediately was taken back by its appearance. The thing was an Alpha, nearly completely clad in reinforced bone which covered all but its joints that let it move. Oddly it was splattered in a black tar-like substance that stuck to it as mud does boots. The creature was unusually large, even for an Alpha Beowolf, approaching the size of an Ursa Minor. The piercing red eyes further set it apart from its kin, lacking the orange tinge characteristic of the Grimm as a species. A black mass shifted in the jaw of the creature, and Weiss gasped as she saw what it was.

A Beowolf, much battered and bloodied, struggled inside the jaws of the corrupted Alpha. It whined pitifully before a crunch ceased its cry permanently. The Alpha threw the corpse to the side watching it dissolve with some interest before facing the huntresses. Its razor claws dug into the ground grinding the concrete beneath into innumerable shards as its tail hackled at the sight of new prey. The black tar began to emanate a cloud of purple mist, as the beast rose onto its two legs to howl once again. As it finished the Alpha braced its body, staring at the newfound prey.

The Grimm pounced faster than a bullet towards the pair of huntresses.

Weiss drew Myrtenaster to stab into the beast's hide, but found her rapier incapable of finishing the job. The blade dinged off of the bone, and the creature returned the favour swiping at Weiss. She caught the brunt of the attack, and felt herself skidding along the ground gasping in pain. The Grimm did not let up, pouncing on to her grinding her stomach underneath its weight while its jaws snapped at her wildly in an attempt to rip out her throat.

Coco blasted at the Grimm which was blown off of Weiss with the power of sustained automatic fire from her weapon; the dust shells would have torn apart a regular Grimm but the creature stood up damaged yet alive. It roared and lunged at Coco, who fired at it once more.

The Grimm shrugged the bullets off and bit into Coco's arm, she hissed in pain as the creature began to shake her around like a rag doll. Her aura stopped it from doing extreme damage, but it should not be able to hold on to her the way it was. It was partially ignoring it. Like Gerhardt had.

The Beowolf grew bored and tossed the huntress to the side who slammed into a ruined building, it stood on its hind legs again surveying the area. It saw Weiss struggling to her feet and stalked towards her with unusual grace. The black tar dripped from it like water from a fountain, but the creature seemed unworried or perhaps unaware. It snarled viciously as Weiss raised her rapier in a last-ditch effort to harm it.

Weiss calmed herself as the monster stampeded towards her. The armour meant that Myrtenaster hadn't a hope in hell of actually penetrating the upper body of the Grimm, and the creature was not making it easy to hit at its weaker joints. There was one option however, as suicidal as it sounded.

The mouth.

The Grimm was still vulnerable where its main killing armaments were, if she could lodge her weapon into the roof of its mouth whilst avoiding the innumerable teeth she had a shot at killing the thing. It was the only option that seemed open to her, so she took it.

The jaws screamed towards her, and Weiss closed her eyes partly in fear and partly in concentration. She angled her sword, and pushed it upwards. A sickening puncture was heard, but the huntress felt no pain. She opened her eyes to see the Beowolf embedded on Myrtenaster struggling as its momentum pushed it further down onto the rapier. It began to climb to its hind legs in an attempt to get the sword out of itself, or at least remove the weapon from the wielder's grasp.

Weiss firmly gripped the hilt of her rapier, feeling her body being lifted by the raw strength of the Beowolf. The beast was too focused on its pain to strike at her, but she knew the moment that it dislodged the sword it was all over. She could do nothing else other than hold on and try to keep Myrtenaster in the Grimm's mouth.

Thunder broke through the air and hurtled straight burying into the ankles of the Beowolf. Coco's gun smoked as the beast fell forward, its legs collapsing under it. The Alpha screeched as the rapier forced itself further into it, and Weiss smirked as she saw the tip of the blade exit the creature's snout. Gravity had done the job. The beast's eyes closed.

Weiss twisted the blade for good measure. Once it ceased moving she ripped Myrtenaster out grimacing at sickening squelch of weapon leaving the Grimm. A torrent of black blood spilled forward, and Weiss shook her head in disbelief. What had happened to this Grimm?

Coco gave her a thumbs up, before climbing to her feet unsteadily. Her arm felt like she had just put it into a grinder, but it worked. She had likely sprained it by firing her weapon, recoil like that required two-hands even with aura-enhanced strength, her aura was already mending at the wounds and it as well as some old-fashioned adrenaline was numbing her pain. All things considered however she had come out alright.

Weiss seemed to be fine despite the initial attack the Alpha had caused. Maybe some minor bruising under her outfit, but nothing major that Coco could see. What was that Beowolf? She wasn't exactly a storied huntress, but she had never heard of something like what they had just fought.

Suddenly the Grimm began to spasm, and Weiss stumbled back in shock. The black aura that pulsated from it seems to be leaking in waves. The blackness soaked into the ground around the Grimm, and Weiss swore she could see skulls in the unholy mist. The Grimm stood up again, and opened its eyes. The hole where Weiss had pierced it healed, and the Grimm opened its mouth. A black energy began to coalesce inside of its mouth and it pointed its straight at Coco, as the black sphere grew larger hints of white streaked through it and an unearthly sound was heard as the Grimm charged its attack.

Weiss sped towards Coco lifting the huntress onto her back; she left the mini-gun where it was deeming that it was not worth the risk of endangering both of them. She used a glyph to speed herself down the road, and watched the Grimm scream into the building that they had been standing beside just a second ago.

The building simply ceased to be, all trace that it was there was lost in the dark explosion and piercing sound of the attack. The creature realised it had been outsmarted, and turned to face the running huntsman. It got ready to give chase, and Weiss felt her heart freeze. There was no way she could fight that thing on her own, and Coco was in no position to fight. She couldn't think of what to do.

Weiss frowned as Coco groaned in pain, her arm was turning purple. She hadn't just sprained it, that arm was undoubtedly broken. Her aura would numb it, but in a moment or two Coco would be crippled with pain when the agony roared through her system unabated.

If she left Coco, it was possible she could get away. The Grimm would eat her, and she could get back to rest of the team.

But hell would freeze over before Weiss did that.

Weiss gingerly laid Coco on the ground, before snapping the canisters of Myrtenaster to load fire dust. She sprayed the street with fire, watching the inferno burst into a wall protecting the pair from the advancing Grimm. It slowed its advance, seeming mindful of the flames. But Weiss knew that the fire would not last forever, and she could not endlessly create barriers to stop the Grimm. But she could not leave Coco.

Weiss watched as the fire faded, and the Grimm stalked towards the girl with what looked almost like an imitation of a smile. She knew it wasn't, but it felt like the demon was taking pleasure in the desperation she was feeling. Of course, Weiss knew she likely reeked of negative emotions to the Grimm. As far as it was concerned, there was an all-you-can-eat buffet sitting in front of it.

Her grip on Myrtenaster grew weaker as the Grimm drew horribly closer, she could smell the saliva dripping from its maw and hear the sloshing of its tongue as it advanced. Her body screamed at her to run, but she stood firm.

The Grimm was so close its snout was poking the rapier; it stood tall and swiped Myrtenaster effortlessly out of the Huntress' hand having learned from earlier. With no other way to defend Coco, Weiss resigned herself to holding out her arms and closing her eyes. Tears prickled down her cheeks as she heard the creature get unbearably close, she felt its hot breath licking against her cheek.

A sudden unearthly rasp shook through the air, and Weiss' eyes shot open. The Beowolf backed up, and howled. There was silence for a moment, before the rasp called again. It was a cross between a shout and a muffled shriek. The Grimm snarled at the pair, before turning its tail to them and running down the street cutting into the alley that it had come from, disappearing from sight.

"Weiss? Coco? Where are you?" called Qrow in the distance.

The heiress felt relieved, before promptly fainting on top of Coco.

The second year groaned in pain from her broken arm, and the weight that had fallen on her. Nevertheless she patted the unconscious girl on the head with her usable hand.

"Good job kid, good job."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, a bit late again at submitting it here but better late than never I suppose. I hope to see you all next Saturday.


	11. Chapter 11

"Now I know Penny that this isn't exactly what I planned to bring you here for," said Ironwood, walking alongside the android as they stepped out of the elevator "but I believe you are fit for the job."

Penny nodded, looking in wonder at the massive room she found herself in. The basement of Beacon was beyond massive, even the hallway from the elevator to the end of the room seemed to stretch beyond measure. Of course she could measure exactly what length it was, to the exact centimetre, but her father always did say being too literal was a problem.

The Headmaster of Beacon stood patiently in front of her, and Penny noted that a blond woman she had not been introduced to yet was beside him. It stood to reason that she was Glynda Goodwitch however, her data banks suggested as much. The women looked far sterner than the Headmaster, but there was softness behind her eyes. Or at least Penny thought there was, it was possible that she was misinterpreting the data being presented to her.

She had to stop thinking like this.

"Good afternoon Ms. Polendina, it is a pleasure to meet you finally," said Ozpin with a kind smile, "James has told me much about you."

Penny blushed slightly "Just Penny will do sir, and it is pleasure to meet you as well."

"I will try to keep things brief. James has volunteered you to look after two very important individuals, he tells me your particular 'qualities' make you fit to look after them on a 24 hour basis for the next few weeks."

Penny shot a concerned look at the General who nodded in confirmation. So they knew about her not being real then. In a way it made things a tad easier for her, at least when it came to dealing with awkward questions from the Headmaster.

"I am combat-ready sir," said Penny with some enthusiasm, although she was not sure as to what extent of it was genuine.

"I am sure you are, come we will show you what you will be protecting."

Penny followed the Headmaster, who led her along with the General and Ms. Goodwitch to what seemed to be a container of some description. It closely resembled the stasis chamber that her father placed her in when key maintenance had to be made to her body, work on her CPU and memory banks for example. However upon closer inspection she noticed a dark-skinned girl, who was scarred and frail, nestled inside the chamber.

Was she like her? No, that wasn't possible. Both General Ironwood and her Father had been insistent on her being the first synthetic being to be able to produce Aura, and Penny could detect the faintness of the woman's own soul even from within the container. So who was she?

"I can tell you have questions, and in time we can give you answers, but at the moment they are not particularly important. The woman is called Amber, and her safety is paramount at this current time. There was a break-in at the CCT, during the Beacon Dance, and so we fear that someone who has a particular interest in Amber is here. That is to say, in Vale. We do not know who they are yet, but with time I am confident we can uncover their identity. Unfortunately they are likely to be quite powerful, and it is possible they could attempt to break-in here," said Ozpin placing a hand on Penny's shoulder "We need someone vigilant, who would be capable of holding them off until we could arrive. The General assures me you are capable of this and more."

Orders were orders. She could not refuse them.

"I will do my best, sir."

Ozpin nodded, before gesturing for her to follow him again. The General gave her a slight pat on the head in thanks, and Penny felt that foreign warmth swim through her again. It felt good to be appreciated, that was what her Father had said. And she agreed. It was nice.

Penny opened her eyes slightly in confusion, a redundant but humanizing behaviour as her optics were not faulty to her knowledge, as she stared at the armoured corpse lying on a metal table. The armour and skin were charred horribly, and flesh had melted over one of its eyes. Dried blood stained a tear in his throat. The body was restrained slightly, but she could not fathom why this was so. Her sensors informed her that the individual was freshly dead. It seemed that the person had perished less than five minutes ago.

Ozpin smiled slightly "I see you too notice how strange this body is, I can assure you that he is dead but not as fresh as you might expect. He killed himself over a week ago."

That was impossible. There was no rigor mortis, the body remained flexible. Her sensors noted that the organs inside the body were still intact, and the foam that leaked from the dead after at least five days was not present either. The corpse had not bloated, nor had it in anyway began to change colour. The boy was pale, but she could tell this was his natural tone.

"Sensational," muttered Penny in awe. Such things were unheard of. Even her Father, an engineer by trade, would be interested in such a person.

A scroll began to beep, and Ozpin frowned as he looked at it. He turned to Glynda who nodded before turning back to Penny.

"We need you to look after these two, until we can be certain there is no threat any longer. Are you willing to do this?" asked Ozpin.

"Yes," said Penny without hesitation.

Ironwood smiled knowingly at Ozpin before ruffling Penny's hair again "I know you can function without charging for a few weeks, but there are outlets that you can charge at here if you need to; beside Amber for example. Hopefully this will take no longer than a week and then we can see about you taking part in the Vytal festival."

Ozpin nodded and Glynda even beamed slightly. The trio turned and walked out leaving Penny on her own.

As the lights dimmed she found herself curious about the body. They had said very little of whom exactly this person was. Not even a name like Amber, the woman in the container. She wondered who this boy was. What was he like? A serene smile was on his face despite the horrible injuries he had incurred. Was he a kind person? A calm person? She didn't know why, but this mysterious person entranced her.

Amber did too in a way, she looked young and yet her expression betrayed how much pain she was in. Was she dying? Penny couldn't tell; the apparatus Amber was hooked up to made her vital signs all but unreadable to Penny's own apparatus. She couldn't understand what this person was going through. And maybe she didn't want to. But she did know that with every fibre of her being she wanted to help, because that was what Ruby would do. Penny knew that she was regarded as kind, and she enjoyed being so, but the protectiveness she felt now was something she had never felt until she became friends with Ruby.

"I won't let anyone harm you."

* * *

Yang sighed as she and Yatsuhashi wandered down yet another abandoned street. The big guy was not exactly as talkative as she imagined he would be. Not that he was rude or anything, he was just a quiet person. That was fine, but he wasn't her type. Blake was quiet, but you could talk away the day with her if she wanted to. So far Yang had yet to have a conversation that lasted longer than thirty seconds with Yatsuhashi.

The giant raised his hand slowly, and Yang recognised that he was using a Huntsman's hand signal to ask her to stop. She sighed as she sat on her hunkers and watched the man inspect whatever he had found. He wouldn't even speak to her to tell her to stop. This was ridiculous.

Yatsuhashi picked up an object and beckoned to Yang, who nodded and wandered over quickly to the Mistralian. He all but forced the object into Yang's face who took a step back in discomfort. She looked at the dripping black object in front of her, but was drawing blanks. She raised her eyebrow at Yatsuhashi.

"You do not know what this is?" asked the Huntsman.

"Uh, no I don't," said Yang helplessly. This guy really was not a talker.

The giant sighed and waved the object slightly with both of his hands. The black-purple gunk that was dripping off it flew in her direction, and Yang ducked to avoid getting some of it on her precious hair. She was about to give the man a piece of her mind before noticing that with the material gone from the object she could tell what that was.

Yang whistled in awe "That's a big Nevermore feather."

"Indeed, I have never had the opportunity to fight one so large," said Yatsuhashi with a smile, "would you be interested in finding this beast?"

You know what, maybe the guy didn't talk much but damn he could still speak her language.

"You know it big guy!" cried Yang, bursting into a run down the street before grinding it to a halt, and rubbing the back of her neck nervously. She looked nervously at her teammate "which way are we going?"

Yatsuhashi beckoned for her to follow him again. Yang did as she was told, or in the case of Yatsuhashi shown, the man continuously scanned the street and kept his eyes on the sky and the rooftops. After a few moments, he stopped again and Yang mimicked him as he stared at a particular rooftop. He nodded slowly and pointed at it.

"Claw marks on the rainwater pipes, and that strange liquid is coating it as well. It would seem that the Nevermore rested here for a time," explained Yatsuhashi before rubbing his chin in thought "It's absolutely covered in whatever this substance is. This will be of use to us in tracking it."

"How are you so good at this stuff?" asked Yang.

"My family are hunters, not 'Hunters'; one learns to be good at these things. We hunted deer, rabbits and other creatures in Mistral when I was growing up," said Yatsuhashi, "A good hunter needs to be a good tracker. You cannot charge in guns blazing if you want to hunt something, it will more than likely get away if you alert it and if it does you need to be able to find it again even if it is much faster than you."

Yang nodded slowly. That was impressive, Patch was quite rural but she had never been big on hunting. She didn't think anyone in her Family was outside of hunting Grimm. It seemed a huge waste of time, this tracking business; they were going after a Nevermore, and a colossal one at that! There was no way a creature of that size could hide even in a city this big.

"Of course I imagine that is a strange concept to one as headstrong as you," said Yatsuhashi offhandedly before he began to swiftly advance down the street.

Yang's eyes flashed red. What did he just say? He keeps his mouth shut for two hours, except for maybe a collective two minutes over their patrol and now he suddenly decides to talk to her about the merits of tracking before insulting her? This was not on.

Yatsuhashi lodged his great-sword into a skyscraper, and began to scale it using his weapon as leverage. Yang followed swiftly digging Ember Celica into the building as well, crawling after him. After a few minutes of climbing she reached the rooftop, and was about to explode at the man before noticing the amount of feathers lying around the area.

"This is where it roosts," said Yatsuhashi simply.

Yang nodded dumbly for a second, it did resemble a nest of some description. The rooftop was coated in that gunk that had been on the feathers. As she had a good look at it she realised finally that there was no way it could be mud or dirt. It was too purple to be dirt; she had never seen anything like it. As she shook herself out of her thoughts she found her anger rekindled and directed back at Yatsuhashi.

Yang spoke up "What's your problem? You barely talk to me for hours as we are stuck wandering round the empty streets, and then the moment you do talk it's only about hunting Grimm and insulting me."

"We came to Mountain Glenn to find the White Fang, but hunting Grimm should always be one of the priorities of a Huntress," said Yatsuhashi, "I am teaching you how to hunt them, and I never insulted you. You are headstrong; it's a part of your character. It is something I am very much interested in shaping up."

Yang blinked in surprise.

"I spoke with Miss Goodwitch before the mission, and I have spectated some of the first-year fights from time-to-time. I have seen you in spars. You're strong, make no mistake, but I am not so sure if you are as skilled as your victories would imply."

Yang didn't need listen for another second rushing forward to punch the senior Huntsman in the face, consequences be damned. However to her surprise he just leaned to the left and stared at her lazily. She growled and Ember Celica soared toward his mid-section. Yatsuhashi, despite his huge size, simply jumped over her fists and landed behind her.

She moved to try again, but Yatsuhashi seized her arm and stopped her "If we were in Beacon I would love to have a spar with you and show you what you're doing wrong, but today I shall settle for merely telling you. Too often you rely on hitting the opponent even if they hit you. That is a death sentence if you meet someone stronger than you or faster than you. Learn not to do it, or one day you may be taught it far more harshly."

He let go softly, and crouched setting his sword on the ground "Now we wait, Nevermores are similar to all birds. They are creatures of habit. It will inevitably come back here."

Yang nodded and, having found a suitably clean spot, sat down crossing her legs as she stared at the Mistralian. She was going to try again to start a proper conversation with him. It was wrong of her to have lost her temper.

"So um, what do you call your sword?" asked Yang.

Yatsuhashi blinked before shaking his head "It does not have a name, or at least I have not yet given it one. I may in the future."

Damn. That didn't go anywhere.

Yang tried again "Why are you laying it on the ground, and not plunging the sword into it. That way when the bird shows up you can just pull it out quickly."

"Who have you seen doing that to their sword?" asked Yatsuhashi with some interest, leaning closer.

Yang knew only a few sword users; Uncle Qrow with his combined weapon Harbinger, Weiss with Myrtenaster, Blake with Gambol Shroud and, of course, Jaune with Crocea Mors to name a few. But she only knew one person who would sheathe their weapon occasionally by plunging it into the ground.

"Gerhardt."

Yatsuhashi laughed "Of course it was him, I should've known. No normal sword is meant to be mercilessly battered as he did with his, I don't know if it could be broken if I am being quite honest. We had a spar once and I slammed my blade upon his many a time, and there was not a chip on it."

The giant continued to chuckle, before picking up his sword and putting it on his lap. He beckoned for Yang to come closer. When she had done so he showed her his weapon.

"My blade is made of steel, layered with some thin bronze and gold coloured steel for the look I must admit, just as most are in Remnant. It is also infused with some titanium," said Yatsuhashi running his hand along the blade "I am strong, but if this weapon was made completely of steel I would struggle to use it without aura which is always a bad idea. The titanium makes it a bit lighter, and easier to use."

He gestured to some scratches on the blade, before rubbing his finger along a chip with a frown "It is not indestructible however. Swinging your blade around enough will eventually break it. I have heard there are people who can weave Dust into metal, to reinforce it, but such a process is expensive and well beyond my means."

"Well beyond your means?" asked Yang.

"I am poor, I cannot afford it."

Yang's mouth opened "You're poor?"

"Indeed, my family in Mistral barely had enough food to feed us back when I was still living with them although that could be to do with our sizes," laughed Yatsuhashi, before noting the serious look on Yang's face, "not every Huntsman or Huntress-in-training is well off. I went to Beacon to become a Huntsman because they get paid well. When I am finished training I will return to Mistral and earn my keep, to help support my family until the time comes for me to have my own one. Fox is the same; his family need him to be the breadwinner. Vacuo isn't particularly forgiving if you are poor, but then again is anywhere?"

That came as a surprise to her. Yang did not consider herself naïve but the idea of being a hunter without a desire to explore the world or do good? It just seemed weird to her. She had heard every reason under the sun save this one. Come to think of it, they did have a pretty nice house in Patch. Was that because of the money her Dad had made as a Hunter and teacher at Beacon? She wasn't sure.

Yatsuhashi sighed "I see you too don't like this reason, I do not blame you. A Huntsman's profession is an honourable one, and I will be proud to be one but pride does not put food on the table. Money does."

With that Yang was put in silence again. Was her life that well-off that she truly could not understand the fact that money was important to some people? She was always quick to point out that Ruby was immature, but the idea of working to survive had never entered her mind. She just did things for fun, was that wrong?

She wasn't sure.

A screech interrupted her thoughts, and she stood up to see a massive shadow flying towards them.

That was one big Nevermore.

Its wingspan was easily the size of an inn if not more; the Grimm was colossal to the point where Yang was certain it could clutch a bullhead in both of its talons. The explosion of noise caused by its wings moving was enough to drown out her shouts to Yatsuhashi, but his hand signals told her all she needed to know.

Wait for it to close in.

The roof shattered as the Nevermore landed on it, and Yang began to fully appreciate its size. It was at least twice as big as the one she and her team had fought during initiation. How a Grimm could grow to this size was beyond her. She knew they grew older and stronger with age, but this one had to be beyond ancient. The dark substance that coated the roof was dripping from nearly everywhere on the Nevermore. It leaned its mask towards the two Hunters and focused a single crimson eye intently on them.

Yang loaded Ember Celica and blasted the creature instantly in the eye, smirking as the colossal Grimm shrieked as the hot metal ripped at its head. The Nevermore covered its face with its left wing, shielding it from further damage. Yatsuhashi dashed underneath the wing, slicing his great-sword fiercely across the beast's feet. Another cry was let loose and the bird stumbled off the roof taking flight.

As the monster began to escape, Yang made her move using the recoil of Ember Celica to launch herself onto the Nevermore. Her target was fast for its size, and as the black mass seemed to be drifting away faster than she was gaining on it she began to worry. However she barely got a grip on the tail of the bird, which shrieked in irritation.

Yang swung herself up and further onto the bird, before immediately hissing in pain as the bird emanated a dense violet mist from itself. Yang grunted as she felt the dark fog biting straight through her aura. She threw herself off the bird, hearing the muffled cry of Yatsuhashi as she fell.

As the ground grew closer and closer she knew she had very little time to think. This was a do or die situation. She was Yang Xiao Long. She was a dragon.

And dragons could fly.

Ember Celica burst into colours as Yang fired every shell she had loaded off, using the recoil to propel herself over to the closest building, another skyscraper. She curled herself as much as she could, and braced her body as she shot straight through the remnants of a glass window crashing into abandoned desks and overturned filing cabinets.

Yang groaned in pain, slowly getting up. Her eyes focused and dozens of orange-red eyes glared back at her. The group of legs began to stomp and pound and roars blanketed the room. She sighed and reloaded her gauntlets quickly.

Creeps.

"Aren't you guys meant to be subterranean!" yelled Yang, barrelling her way through the crowd and out another window again using Ember Celica to propel herself further down to another building.

She looked back and smirked as the Creeps barrelled after her straight to their deaths. Damn she was slick.

A shriek and a white mask interrupted her thoughts, Yang swerved barely to avoid the angry Nevermore taking a bite out of her. Still freefalling she planned her next move.

Running seemed like a good idea.

Yang positioned herself diagonally to the next building, and extended the barrels of Ember Celica. She was going to regret this for one reason. The amount of maintenance her weapon would need after this.

The barrels embedded themselves firmly into the concrete, and Yang's momentum did the rest dragging her screaming down the building like a rollercoaster. She wasn't sure if the screams were caused by fear or excitement, maybe she would be more certain when she got closer to the ground.

The Nevermore took its opponent's move in stride, and with a single motion of its wings sent itself spiralling into a dive. The Grimm was intent on either chopping her in half with a bit or skewering her right through with the tip of its beak. It would decide when it got to its prey.

"Come on, come on, come on! Faster! Faster!" cried Yang as the ground drew tantalisingly close and yet so too did rumbles of the Nevermore's wings.

There!

Yang slammed into the ground, but rolled quickly to maintain some momentum, she sprinted across the street and jumped through the window of a ruined shop to take some refuge. Sighing in relief, she reloaded again and took a look out the window to see what her opponent was doing.

The Nevermore's eyes widened slightly as it tried to pull itself up, but when a creature of its size moved at such a speed changing direction was not an easy task. The Grimm screamed into the ground, tearing through the pavement like wet tissue paper as its wings burned with pain. After some time the creature stopped laying still in a broken mess; its wings rendered beyond ruined from the fall and barely hanging to it.

Yang crawled out of the shop and whistled in awe at the mess it had caused. "You're one stupid bird." She dusted herself off slightly.

"Yang?"

Yang blinked, that wasn't Yatsuhashi.

Blake and Fox came around the corner, with the Faunus looking out of breath. The senior huntsman's white eyes stared glassily in the distance as he frowned.

"Was that a Nevermore?" asked Fox with a hint of shock.

"Yep knocked it outta the sky all by myself. Look at it!" Yang gestured over to the fallen Grimm. "Ain't you proud of me Foxy?"

Fox's milky eyes twitched "Two things. One I'm blind, in case the absence of my pupils didn't give it away and two only Coco can call me that."

Yang wasn't going to question that last part, so she smiled at Blake who shook her head in exasperation but her eyes twinkled with some mirth.

Rapid powerful footsteps echoed down the street, and Yang did not even need to look to know that was Yatsuhashi. The Mistralian waved at the other Hunters as he ran his way up the street, sliding to a halt in front of the group before taking a look at the Nevermore.

"I see you couldn't keep control of your 'student'?" said Fox, before offering his hand to the larger man.

The Mistralian clasped it laughing "She's a real firebrand; I don't think I've ever seen someone fight a Nevermore that way!"

Yatsuhashi's smile then faded "I hope I don't need to explain to you how dangerous that was."

"Uh, no?" offered Yang.

The smile returned.

"Good."

Yang let loose a sigh of relief.

"We can tell your Uncle all about it when we get back."

Damn it. Uncle Qrow was on mission, which meant he was going to actually take things seriously. She was screwed.

A shriek erupted from the Nevermore which shot up, its wings hanging barely on to it. The creature was nearly consumed with the purple mist that it had been spewing earlier. The Nevermore tried to fly lifting slightly into the sky, but its ruined wings could in no way provide flight for a sustained period and it merely glided to the ground again. Its crimson eyes focused on Yang.

"Blake, Grimm can't hold grudges right?"

The Faunus shrugged her shoulders "I don't know, I think this one did though."

The Nevermore stampeded down the street, its huge size barely fitting as its wings scrapped along the ruined buildings. Even on the ground its speed was horrifying to behold, as the four Hunters had to throw themselves to the side of it to avoid being splattered like bugs on a windscreen. The Nevermore screeched, and in an unearthly show of agility leveraged itself between the building to its left and building to its right and pushed itself around before turning itself around to face the hunters again.

"It just back flipped," said Blake quietly.

Fox shook his head "It what?"

The Nevermore opened its mouth. A purple glow began to emanate from inside its gullet, slowly but surely gaining in intensity. Yatsuhashi pointed at the building on their left.

"We go through the window when I say, not before it or the Nevermore will redirect its aim."

The other three hunters nodded, watching as the Nevermore stood taller than its kind naturally preferred to whilst convulsing in what seemed to be pain. The glowing was becoming blinding, and Blake's sensitive eyes were screaming in pain at the sight. She narrowed them as much as she could while still being able to see. How Fox could go around not able to see was beyond her.

"Now!" said Yatsuhashi, grabbing Fox and lunging through the window. Yang and Blake followed instantly, with Blake leaving behind a clone for good measure in case the Nevermore realised it had been tricked.

A purple screw of energy streamed down the street, unearthing and melting the pavement. It cleaved straight through Blake's clone, which evaporated. The blast continued until finally ending at the other end of the street puncturing straight through a building on the corner.

Fox sighed "Why did we run into the only Nevermore that fires a laser?"

Yatsuhashi roared, before charging back on to the street and towards the Grimm brandishing his blade. He leapt into the air and slammed his weapon straight on top of the Nevermore. The bird threw him off and shrieked pitifully.

"He just ran in," said Blake simply, blinking in disbelief.

Fox sighed and rushed out into the street towards the Nevermore sparking his tonfa blades together, as he slashed at the bird's feet trying to bait it into biting at him. The Grimm took the bait, thrusting its beak so fiercely at its opponent that when Fox dodged it embedded itself into the concrete road like a knife in the dirt. The Huntsman wasted no time and used his left blade to slash at the bird's eye once more. It called out in pain, tearing its beak off as it ripped itself out of the ground to face Fox. The Nevermore was in a horrid state, black ichor dripping from every wound while its wings and face were maimed beyond use.

A low rattle could be heard across the area, and Blake's eyes narrowed as she heard it. It was a wet scream, rather than a primal roar or bestial shriek befitting more a man or faunus than any Grimm she had ever heard.

The Nevermore's head shot up and cried in reply, and Blake realised very quickly what it was doing.

She ripped Gambol Shroud from its sheath and latched on to one of the Nevermore's ruined wings, grimacing as the Grimm tried to shake her off. She moved her way up to its neck, thrusting between its armoured plates trying to kill the beast.

"It's calling for help! Yang, break its legs now!" cried Blake as she gripped on to her katana, desperately clinging while the Nevermore threw its neck from side to side to throw her off.

Yatsuhashi nodded to Yang who sped forward, blasting her left gauntlet to augment her speed even further, rearing her right hand for the meanest hook she had ever given. Her eyes glowed as her semblance pumped the extra power she needed into her punch.

She struck.

The Nevermore's leg snapped from under it, the Grimm falling completely helplessly to the ground. It screamed again, and this time a distorted roar answered. The four hunters wasted no time and all began to rapidly attack the Nevermore's head, watching as the remaining eye burst from its socket under the strain of the blow. The head was shattered to bits, and Yang grimaced as some blood got into her hair.

A dark animal figure leapt over the Nevermore's corpse and slammed into Yang instantly snapping at her neck. She brought Ember Celica up to guard her throat, finally getting a good look at the animal on her.

Damn, she thought it had been a fast Ursa. It was a massive Beowolf.

The creature's jaws snapped shut around Ember Celica as the Beowolf held Yang down under its paw trying to pull the girl's arm from her. She screamed in pain before socking the Beowolf with her left arm, as her semblance surged through her. The Beowolf's skull-mask cracked and shattered into pieces, but it otherwise ignored the hit biting even further down on Yang's arm. Just as she was certain it was rearing to pull it off the Grimm's mouth opened forcibly.

Yatsuhashi rammed his blade straight through the top of the Beowolf's snout, and with his other hand grabbed the lower part of its jaw forcing it off Yang who quickly withdrew her hand nursing it close to her chest. Yatsuhashi then used both his hand and blade to wrench the beast's mouth even further open, far further than what the creature was designed to be able to do. After some resistance and futile slashing at Yatsuhashi, who fought through the injuries and pain, there was a sickening snap and the Beowolf fell down to the ground bleeding and not moving.

Yang smiled despite the pain shooting through her arm, biting her tongue slightly before speaking. "He bit off more than he could chew." She saw Yatsuhashi and Blake grin back while Fox tried to hide a smile behind his hand coughing as well to avoid his mouth betraying him.

A massive wing batted Yatsuhashi away from the corpse of the Beowolf. Blake gritted her teeth in anger as she saw the Nevermore get up, but the anger gave way to fear as she got a better look at its condition.

It had healed. It had healed everything.

Its mask was pristine once more, its wings still coated in the purple liquid but fully functional once more. The Grimm stood proudly on its two legs, despite the fact that Yang had certainly broken it a minute ago. The Nevermore's other wing slammed firmly down on the ground beside the Beowolf, before it used the two appendages to scoop the smaller Grimm towards itself. The colossal beast wrapped its wings firmly around the Beowolf once it had been drawn under it, before curling up and covering the opening in the wings with its head.

Blake shook her head in disbelief.

It was shielding the Beowolf.

Blake took some pots shots at the wings, but they merely bounced off or did little to penetrate the bird's skin. White particles began to gather around the Nevermore, as the purple fog gave way to a darker black mist which began to thicken to the point where Blake could barely see the creature.

Suddenly the wings parted and the Nevermore stood tall on its legs, revealing a healed Beowolf with a purple sphere of energy gathering rapidly in its mouth. The two explosions happened simultaneously as the dark sun roared towards its targets from the Beowolf's maw.

The crackling of the pavement and damage to it despite the attack not even touching the ground scared Blake, but what the Nevermore was doing terrified her.

Apparitions gathered around it, flooding the air. They were shaped like the outlines of people, although they possessed eyes and were little more than pure dark. They were silhouettes almost, but not quite. A silver outline and white eyes were the only altercations to the steadfast black that the phantoms consisted of. Their eyes were still, but Blake swore on her mother and father that she saw them looking at her.

The two attacks shot towards them, and Blake knew that her clones were the only hope once more. She pointed to the opposite building to the one they had last taken refuge in; the Nevermore may have finally decided to show some intelligence.

The Beowolf's attack took the bait, spiralling straight into Blake's clone but to her surprise the dark pursuers that the Nevermore had conjured up did no such thing turning course slowly before trickling into the building the Hunters were in. Blake shot at them, but they showed no indication that they had been hit as the dust rounds simply passed through them.

"We're leaving!" roared Fox, as Yatsuhashi kicked in a door out into an adjacent alleyway far away from the Nevermore.

Blake did not need to be told twice, grabbing Yang by her strong arm and dragging her through the door. They took a left following Fox, as Yatsuhashi slammed the door shut again. They kept running, until they could no longer hear the Nevermore and Beowolf screaming into the air.

The Nevermore stared at the Beowolf which returned the gaze. All of the animalism they had displayed mere seconds ago vanished, as they surveyed the street. The death rattle sounded again, and both Grimm looked at each other before splitting up. The Beowolf charged into an alley while the Nevermore began to run down the street jumping and taking off into the air again.

They knew better than not to answer the call of their master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, hope we are all doing well. There will be a delay for the next chapter for about two weeks or so, as my computer is going in for repair. I hope to see you all then.


	12. Chapter 12

Penny stared scanning the pages of the book she was reading one last time, trying her best to decipher the runes that were scrawled across the page. Her CPU whirred fiercely as it translated the words at inhuman speed. It was an exercise book that seemed to have turned into a diary of some description, considering that it had been brought down to rest with the corpse of the scorched Knight she summarised that it belonged to him. She at least had a name for him now.

Gerhardt.

It was spelled much differently in his language it would seem, but nevertheless it was there in dried ink. The name of the mysterious body that lay unchanging and eternal to her right. Amber was interesting, of course, but something enraptured her about the dead man lying there. Something about it screamed that he was much more significant than he seemed. Perhaps that was her Father's curiosity speaking.

It was a slow process, but she was deciphering what the man had written. She had felt it a horrible invasion of privacy at first, but eventually she couldn't help it. Gerhardt had no need for it, to her knowledge; perhaps he wanted someone to read his diary. To see what he had thought before he passed. Perhaps he had ancient wisdom to pass on?

A tinge of childish excitement shot through her before she smothered it quickly, she was still on mission.

Her irises clicked, and a glow followed by a humming confirmed that the next section of the translation was complete. She would be stuck for days if not longer trying to translate Gerhardt's language normally; it was completely foreign even to the ancient Mistralian it seemed based on. Or perhaps ancient Mistralian was based on it? What an outlandish idea.

Luckily Gerhardt had been kind enough, or smart enough, to make a list of characters and letters and their counterparts in his language's script. It still took some time, ancient Mistralian was a complex language and this was more so.

Penny smiled as she read the first page; she felt a connection to this man even if they had never met. His thoughts and feelings painted on white paper. The crumpling of the pages or stains across it showing her how he felt or thought at that moment.

She was reading too much into this.

Hey, that was a pretty good pun. She would have to share it with Yang when she saw her and Ruby next.

' _Lessons with this Professor Port are a tiring affair, the man is an excellent orator content-wise but listening to him is watching paint dry. That is to say, a boring and tiring affair. How can one man have so much to say about himself? He has an hour long story about how he fought or did something every time I speak to him. His vocabulary truly is impressive however, and when he starts writing his story down I find myself absorbing much of what is written quickly. He is helping, painfully so, but helping.'_

Penny laughed slightly; she turned to the next page which had by now translated for her as the symbols altered in her optics to the common tongue of Remnant. She wished she could meet this Professor Port.

' _Velvet proves to be stubborn as the Pontiff's beasts; she insists that I cry in my sleep. I know I am not crying, or at least I believe I am not. I am desperate, and angry, but not yet sad. It is likely the Deep dripping from my body in the night. It could also be the Abyssal Flame melting the chill in me for a time. I was not crying to my knowledge. Or maybe I was? I am not sure. I don't think I have ever cried before. What does it feel like?'_

As she turned the page Penny frowned, that was something she understood too well. She couldn't cry, but she knew she could feel sadness. She knew when she had saved Ruby from the crash that she had been sad at the prospect of rejection. Did this person not know what it was to feel sadness? He mentioned concepts that were foreign to her, the Deep and the Abyssal Flame were mentioned constantly. Penny wasn't sure if they were metaphors or perhaps his semblance but it seemed they were debilitating at times. As if they caused him pain constantly.

' _The boy Jaune seems hopeless, he is not fit for battle and yet I entertain the notion that he could be something. There is no doubt he has potential, that or Fina's loving embrace is ever around him. He cannot hope to catch up as is however, he needs time. I only hope he gets it or he will surely perish. Ruby enjoys him however, and I have learned she has ways of making me feel 'ill' when I make her upset. So I try with him no matter how irritating he may get. He has heart; it just seems he never likes to show it. In other events Velvet has promised to bring me to see another movie. A Spruce Willis one she says. They are such wondrous things; the Pontiff would not believe it were he to see it. We simply must figure out how to harness them for our own uses, we could even use them to educate our knights in swordplay I think. It is good that I am writing these ideas down, I find myself becoming more and more forgetful.'_

Penny flipped past it; she wasn't sure who Jaune was so she couldn't comment but there was Ruby. It couldn't be a coincidence. Gerhardt had known her. Penny felt a pang in her, not a metallic one but something deeper. This could have been a friend, and now he was just scorched flesh lying ruined on a table discarded. It was sad.

As she looked at the next page it screamed at her with how haphazard and anxious it was in its style of writing. It scared her somewhat.

' _Ruby has been keeping me company ever since Velvet has gotten involved in planning that Dance. What useless tripe, at least Ruby understands that. The girl is naïve yes, but she has a good head on her shoulders. Ruby knows there is more to life than childish dancing no matter how innocent she appears. I feel warm around these people. Why? I hurt. It hurts.'_

A speck of ink, or perhaps darkened blood, had splotched out the rest of the page.

She read the last page, which cut off half-way. Her analytical mind grouped what she was reading into a more legible and organised paragraph, but as it was on the page it seemed little more than haphazard scribbling and ink stains. There were tears in the pages as well with the edges crumpled beyond belief.

' _Irithyll. Home. Where is home? Slave, warrior, knight. I am Gerhardt. Kill, bleed, die. Obey. I obey. My honour is to obey. Loyalty is all one needs. To die for the Pontiff is honour, to live for him is duty. Duty stands above all. Who am I? Where am I? Remember the oath. He sees all, and our rings show that. His eyes are constant. Always constant. The Great Blue Sea approaches.'_

A massive blot of ink smeared across the rest of paper, and try as she might Penny could not remove it. She instead turned her eyes to the rest of the paragraph.

' _Where has the Pontiff gone? I must speak with him. I am unsure of what exactly I shall do after killing an Unkindled, to my knowledge they will continuously resurrect until they succeed. Perhaps I should incapacitate them, prevent them from dying, and leave them to rot. I am then left with only confusion; do I go to face Yhorm? The giant is beyond mad; he will not tell me the location of the Profaned Flame's source. I am not sure. I miss Dietrich, Aelfric, and Romund. I miss Vordt, and I never met him. I miss Eliana. Where is the Pontiff? Where am I? I hear breathing, I am not alone.'_

And that was where it ended, Penny was unsure as to what happened next but it seemed Gerhardt had perished after or at least stopped writing in his book. An abrupt end, but then again it seemed he had ended abruptly as well.

There were so many confusing terms in the journal, and while his lexicon was odd he barely seemed remarkable. A tad superstitious yes, but her Father had said many men and women were like this. His religiousness was strange, but there were still a few who adhered to their God or Gods in Remnant. This left her at a roadblock. It just seemed to be the writings of a madman.

Penny was still unaware of why exactly she was looking after his corpse. Amber was the key priority, her mission parameters had been updated by the General from the flagship to say as much, but why was this man so important? His freshness of death was interesting, but as of yet she lacked any indication as to why this was the case. Nevertheless he still was not important, and the fact was that to even find his name she had to trawl through maddened writings of fantastical events said as much.

Before that he was just a Nameless Knight strapped to a table, which confused her greatly. Why restrain him? He wasn't going anywhere.

She closed the book, and returned it to where she had found it with the pile of the Knight's belongings: a burned and warped halberd along with two rings that were lying remarkably pristine. She balked at what they were attached to however, two burned and ruined fingers. She could see the armour still on them; clearly they belonged to the Knight. She still wondered as to why they had been cut off. She had seen them already, in her scans of the room, but they still disturbed her.

Penny's gaze turned back to the corpse, and she took note off his right hand that was wrapped in the smoked remains of his cape. Odd, her observations had noted this, but she could tell it had moved. It was a fraction of an inch, not noticeable to anyone not like her, but it had moved. She had not touched it unless a glitch had occurred without her knowledge.

Penny removed the cape from the burnt hand gingerly, and with one gaze finally understood why the Headmaster had chosen to strap the body to this table.

There was a blue liquid spilling from the digits which had lost fingers, corroding the area it fell upon before retreating back inside the wounds. The corrosion confirmed that this had been going on for quite some time although it had yet to fully dissolve the metal in any real way. That was not what worried her however.

The evidence pointed to her that they had been dripping for nine days without falter.

Perhaps it was better to keep her distance from the body, and watch Amber instead. She was top priority.

* * *

"So you're telling me that there are two super Grimm running around?" asked Qrow, taking a swig from his flask.

Fox nodded "A Nevermore and Beowolf. Both are mutated or 'wrong' looking. They can do things no Grimm can do, regeneration. High-impact energy attacks along with other such things, they seem to be able to survive mortal injuries."

Ruby leaned in slightly in confusion to Yang who was brushing through her hair "High-impact what now?"

"They fire lasers Rubes."

Qrow sighed as he listened, before screwing the cap of his flash back on. He stood up dusting himself off "As much as I would like to tell you that's not possible, the fact that the Fashionista over there and the Princess are in a horrible state says otherwise. So super Grimm huh? Great."

Yatsuhashi nodded solemnly from his position at Coco's side, while Fox was sitting beside her. The girl was unconscious, and would not be getting up till at least tomorrow. Qrow had done his best to set her bones right, but now Aura would have to finish the job. He could only hope she was ready for tomorrow, because he knew in his heart that they were moving out.

"They are remarkably durable," said Yatsuhashi, "I don't know if they can be even killed. They shrugged off things that would annihilate their kind, and the Nevermore recovered from having its head smashed to pieces."

Qrow shot him down "Any Grimm can be killed, even Geists which are not even completely physical. It is just a matter of figuring out how. But we don't have time to work it out; I've scouted out where the White Fang are. Get your rest, and be ready to head out tomorrow morning. The Fashionista should be alright by then."

"Why?" asked Yang.

"I've found our friends in the White Fang."

There was silence for a moment, and Weiss grimaced. She had hoped that they may have had longer to rest. She still ached. There was no way a night's rest would see her in top form for tomorrow, never mind Coco.

"How many are there?" asked Yang, raking a brush through her hair, "a couple of dozen?"

"I'd say a few hundred give or take, and from the talk I was hearing they aren't exactly your typical White Fang rabble. Apparently there an elite group that's been dispatched to help protect against 'unwanted interference'."

Qrow looked at Team RWBY with a slight smirk before continuing. "I think a couple of them are aura-users, not skilled ones but they'll put up more of a fight. And Torchwick seems to have some pint-sized helper down there; I can tell she's trained to fight."

Both Teams shared looks, before focusing back on their leader who shrugged at them.

"Well, no one said it would be easy," said Yang putting down the brush.

"No Firecracker, no one did."

* * *

Dawn came quickly, and even Coco found herself up and about. The two teams quickly gathered together their gear, as the air filled with the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves. A wind was pushing through the abandoned city. It was not loud or destructive, but unsettling nonetheless. It was too artificial, Blake knew that from experience. She had slept rough on White Fang missions before, but never had she felt this wind before. Weiss was right, something was very wrong with this city beyond being a grave of the damned.

She sheathed Gambol Shroud, and accompanied Fox outside the ruined store. Hopefully they wouldn't be staying in it again, it wasn't too uncomfortable all things considered, but it was claustrophobic in there. Nine people weren't meant to stand in, never mind sleep in, a room that small.

She smothered the petty thoughts in her head. This was the moment of truth, the moment she finally figured out the why behind the White Fang's activities with Torchwick. She would get a straight answer from him, even if she had to beat it out of him.

"Alright kids, follow me and keep up. We move fast, and we move quiet. The last thing we need is to alert the camp before we get close," said Qrow as he readied Harbinger. He made sure to load a variety of Dust-based ammunition into the weapon. Who knew what he would need down there?

Blake soon found that she was sprinting alone; Fox was obsessively keeping pace with Coco. Not that Blake could blame him; even she could see that Coco was not exactly top shape even with the night's rest. Aura was an amazing thing. The fact that Team CFVY's leader was capable of using her arm at all, never mind wielding her weapon, was beyond belief.

Everyone seemed on edge, she could tell even as they descended down an opening into the underground of Mountain Glenn. There was dry blood on the wall, likely animal of course but it still unnerved her. They soon reached a metal door, it seemed to have been used to block off the upper-half of Mountain Glenn when it had been abandoned. Blake decided to not think about the human-sized scrapes and etchings around the door. Even if she knew full well what they meant.

Yatsuhashi kicked down the door simply, his herculean strength and aura making such an act child's play. Qrow had apparently opened and closed the door as to avoid arousing suspicion earlier, but considering that they were not hiding anymore such a move was unnecessary. All or nothing.

They descended down the steps, and the rest of Mountain Glenn came into view.

"Woah," murmured Ruby, pulling down her hood to fully appreciate the scene.

Blake couldn't help but agree. The city was just as ruined above as below. If not more so, but there was something undisturbed about it. It was as if they were the first living things to step foot in the city in a long time. Or at least this part. The city was dead, but peacefully so.

She could see the white figures wandering around in the distance. White Fang. And not any regular ones either, amongst the rookies she clearly saw members of Adam's cell distinguished by their bulkier armour and more soldierly gaits as they moved boxes. Compared with the irregulars who had comprised their opponents over the past few months they looked like a different species.

That was not good.

She had been a part of Adam's cell when he had first been granted the honour to lead, back then there had been just forty-seven members. People had died, and retired from injury or age but to her knowledge to be a part of Adam's cell was just as prestigious as it had ever been even if 'cell' didn't really describe them. They were more like his elite. Shock troops. Commandos. Saboteurs. The best he could field. The fact that there was so many of them here meant that this was far bigger than anyone realised.

She wasn't comfortable saying to anyone however, her Team knew of her past but she would rather not bring it up with Team CFVY or Qrow. That could be a disaster waiting to happen.

"Alright kiddos, this is us," said Qrow getting on a knee to survey the situation, "watch each other's backs because even a group of White Fang grunts can overwhelm you if you aren't paying attention. Stick in your proper teams this time, I need you performing at your best. Team CFVY, I want you guys to close down of them from the right flank. Fashionista you provide over-watch with that weapon of yours, link up with us when I make a signal to you. Got it?"

Coco nodded, before jumping down and making her way to a tallish building and unfurling her massive gun. It began to spin up, but did not fire with the Huntress carefully appraising the scene and waiting for her moment to strike.

"Blind-guy I want you to take the rest of your team down and lead it, your leader up there will support you. Watch the crates because they are full of Dust. Keep pressure on them so Team RWBY and I can come up the centre and get to the train. Then we link up again and enter it, got it?"

"I hear you."

Fox, Velvet and Yatsuhashi made their way down to the right, while Qrow turned to look at Team RWBY. He looked as if he was going to tell them his plan, but he simply smiled at Yang before turning around. "Follow my lead, ok?"

Qrow launched himself to the ground and rushed towards the White Fang who dropped the crates as they went for their weapons shouting in panic.

Blake heard Yang whoop as she followed her Uncle into the fray. Never one to shirk her duties she followed her gung-ho friend into combat unsheathing Gambol Shroud. She took a few pot-shots at White Fang members aiming for non-vital areas. They were still her former comrades after-all.

Two irregulars rushed her, crying with bravado as they brought their makeshift weaponry to fight her up-close. They reeked of inexperience, and Blake could almost smell their false bravado. She brought her katana to her right blocking the hit from the man on her left who grunted in surprise. She didn't even look as she kicked the other man straight in his face hearing his mask, and nose, crack under her boots. She winced slightly before stabbing the other man through the leg sending him to the ground alive but out of the fight.

She moved up quickly, her golden eyes blazing. Yang was doing as Yang always did. Walking her way to the opposition. She had punched through a wave of irregulars, although a trio of more elite members were putting up a far better fight for her. Two were distracting her by dancing away from her fists instead, using polearms of some kind to hit her well from range, while the third took shots at Yang every-time she got close to one of them stopping her from taking them out. They weren't doing much damage, but they were halting her.

Blake rushed at the shooter, who glanced up in shock before withdrawing her knife to slash at her attacker. It was clear that despite the fervent slashing from her that she was not accustomed to fighting up close, probably one of Adam's assassin's he was so fond of for long-range killing, of course Blake knew he had always preferred the 'personal touch'. Blake smacked the hilt of her katana across the woman's face, before ramming her fist into the Faunus' stomach. She fell to her knees in pain. A quick kick to the face finished her off, just in time for Yang to finish up.

Blake turned to see one of the Cell members already on the ground out cold, while the other was futilely trying to block Yang's strikes. His polearm shattered under Ember Celica's response, and with a wink Yang punched his lights out.

"Thanks Blakey," called Yang, already rushing off to fight more foes. Blake shook her head smiling before joining her.

A group of White Fang irregulars took cover behind some empty crates shooting inaccurately at Yang once more who was steaming towards them. However a single shot found its way to her head knocking her down briefly, Blake's eyes shot towards the roof of the train seeing a sniper on top who glanced at her, before switching targets. Blake brought Gambol Shroud's blade up and swatted the bullet out of the sky, but the Sniper appeared to care little. They seemed used to fighting aura users. Another one of Adam's cell members.

A shot impacted at her feet, and kicked up a storm of shattered concrete blinding her momentarily. A second shot then struck her sword, and Blake found herself disarmed. Yang ran over to her defence having finished with the crowd of irregulars, but she was shot in the ankle sending her tumbling even if her aura protected her. The assailant reloaded quickly, and focused in on Yang's head.

A shot clipped their hooded mask, and the Sniper ducked for cover slamming on to the roof of the train. They seemed confused and searched around, a second shot impacted just shy of their arm and once more the Sniper took evasive action before looking to his left to see where the bullet had come from.

Ruby reloaded Crescent Rose once more, she was trying her best to aim for their legs and arms and not hurt them too badly but her target was a slippery sort. Crescent Rose dug deeper into the ground it was anchored in, as she let lose another round from her baby, but this time her opponent was ready and not only dodged it but returned fire. The bullet crackled off Crescent Rose and ricocheted right beside Ruby's boot causing her to squeak slightly. The Sniper took a final shot ripping a hole through the bottom of her hood, before jumping off the train and out of sight.

Blake found herself pulled up by Weiss who was firing bolts of ice dust at the White Fang members foolish enough to stand in her way.

"You can thank me later," said Weiss, smiling slightly before handing Gambol Shroud back to Blake.

She nodded her thanks to Weiss before moving up again. Elite or no it was clear that the White Fang were having a hard time stopping them. More and more of them were being incapacitated or grabbing the crates and running to the train with them. They were routed.

A yelling flash of white skidded past her before slamming against a wall, and Blake blinked as she looked up from the fallen White Fang member and saw Yatsuhashi march in with two men grabbing on to his leg and neck respectively. The giant ignored them instead plodding forward to engage more targets. Fox followed him slicing at the legs of his opponents with his Tonfa blades or kicking them to the ground in a bloody mess. Even Velvet was brawling using her speed and strength to blitz those unfortunate enough to be in her way. Every once in a while a torrent of bullets liquidated what whatever cover the White Fang was hiding behind, leaving them bewildered and in full view of Team CFVY. Coco's doing without a doubt, how one could be that accurate with a mini-gun was beyond Blake.

But the most impressive had to be Qrow, the man was a walking weapon swinging his sword with childlike ease and annihilating swathes of targets with the power to send them flying and yet the precision to leave them only wounded. He emphasised the difference between Huntsmen-in-training and the real deal. He had not a scratch on him, blocking incoming fire with his blade, or simply weaving between the bullets to his next target. His smirk reminded Blake completely of Yang; one could tell they were related.

" **Alright boys and girls, get to your places we are leaving now!"**

Blake's eyes narrowed.

Torchwick.

The remaining White Fang sprinted to the train hopping on at every point with Adam's Cell members laying down covering fire before joining their less experienced brethren on the train. Steam began to jettison from every point as the train slowly began to shift screeching along the tracks.

Qrow gave his signal to Coco, who winded down her gun and packed it up so that she could move. She scaled down from her perch in a ruined building and met up with her team kicking off one of Yatsuhashi's unwanted passengers who was still trying to choke the Mistralian giant while he dealt with the other.

"I thought the tunnels were sealed!" cried Velvet as she looked onward to the slowly moving train.

Blake shook her head "If they were they aren't now. We need to stop them."

"Alright kiddos, we have a train to catch. Let's move!" said Qrow, as he sprinted towards the moving locomotive which was finally beginning to pick up the pace.

Blake used the whip of her weapon to wrap around the train, before pulling herself up and onto the locomotive. She heard the screech of the train as metal crashed against metal. Her fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses pulled themselves on. But she swore she heard a different more guttural shriek; however the din of combat soon silenced her thoughts as Gambol Shroud deflected more bullets.

Still, what was that?

A shot scraped off Gambol Shroud, and before Blake even could act another was barely stopped with the aura. A headshot, on a moving train. While she was moving.

The Sniper.

She looked to see the hooded and cloaked Faunus reloading their clip with a different coloured magazine. They looked better suited to the desert than underground on a speeding train. Blake turned to Qrow who had narrowed his eyes at the Faunus sharpshooter.

"Fashion-Girl!" called Qrow.

"On it."

The mini-gun unfurled, and began to whir. Coco grinned pointing at the Sniper, they were alone on the train roof as of yet. No need to worry about collateral. Her weapon spat low-powered dust rounds at her opponent, the type she normally stocked would blow a man's leg off even if she was careful with them. Didn't matter though, low-power or not the dust rounds would still knock the Sniper flat on their ass.

A shot powered straight through the hail of ammo going the Sniper's way, precisely fired to avoid everything Coco was throwing at them and lodged itself in the barrel of her gun before exploding. She hissed and dropped her gun falling backwards. The throb in her arm screamed in pain from the explosion. Her aura hadn't been broken, but that explosion had strained her badly.

Qrow grunted, moving forward with Harbinger. But the Sniper seemed unworried, and instead stomped their foot on the roof of the train. There was a moment of silence, before hatches began to open and gloved hands gripped on from the side of the train. Blake's eyes widened as at least forty of Adam's cell members climbed to the roof. A massive one stepped forward, wielding a curved great-sword.

Blake recognised him. That was Aloysius, a bear Faunus that had joined Adam's cell just before she had left. Seemed he had impressed Adam somehow.

The Bear Faunus slammed his sword downwards, and a wave of wind came heaving from it knocking down the Huntsmen and Huntresses. Blake blinked, ah that was right. He could use aura. Not only that but he was skilled enough to know how to infuse dust into weaponry.

Damn. That was quite the oversight on her part.

Aloysius roared, and charged across the roof of the train flanked by a squad of Cell Members who stayed close whilst firing their stolen dust rifles. Atlesian Technology that Blake recognised, the weapons they wielded had been some of the hauls she and Adam had stolen back when they were together. They packed a punch even when used on Huntsmen and Huntresses.

Aloysius leapt forward landing straight in front of Qrow who snarled and brought Harbinger above his head to block the sword swing. The pair clashed their weapons across each other for a moment. Their fight was destructive to say the least, with Qrow even beginning to rend the metal beneath him as he dug his foot in to avoid giving ground; for all Aloysius' might it was clear that even with the power he was putting into his strikes, and the advantage he had on forcing Qrow to stand and fight him rather than use mobility due to being on the train's roof, that he was clearly losing.

The Cell members opened fire on Qrow, causing him to break off. But with a smirk on his face he then ran forward kicking his opponent across the train roof. Yatsuhashi and Fox charged behind him, knocking the Cell members from the train easily. A sniper shot was deflected by Qrow, before he moved to block the Bear Faunus once more.

Blake heard the sound of a latch coming undone, and wordlessly Team RWBY jumped to the next carriage where Team CFVY and Qrow where fighting. The discarded carriage fell backwards, and Blake looked behind her.

The carriage erupted in a cloud of smoke and red-hot metal burning straight through the air. The explosion tore a hole through the concrete roof of the tunnel like wet paper. There was silence, before a horde of Creeps began to pour into the tunnel yelping and screeching as they saw the train. The hiss of a King Taijitu filled the air.

Blake turned to shout to Qrow, who was looking back in worry "There are bombs in the train!"

"RWBY get inside and stop this damn train! CFVY and I will deal with things up-top. They are trying to lead the Grimm to Vale, we have to stop them!" said Qrow, before twirling Harbinger to block yet another shot from the Sniper.

That was insane; there were Faunus in Vale too. Adam would have never sanctioned such an operation when she was around, had he become extreme enough to authorise this?

Yang led the Team forward, opening up a hatch with Ruby and Weiss following her closely. With one last look above at Qrow and Team CFVY fighting the White Fang Blake went into the belly of the beast.

The first thing that stood out to her was how empty the train was. It seemed as if all the personnel were up-top fighting. That made her uneasy however. The silence and sparseness of the train could mean either it was a homerun to Torchwick and stopping him, or the most elite of the White Fang were in this metal prison with them.

What if? What if Adam was here?

Blake felt an urge to run, but she knew that she could not. The chances of Adam being here personally was slim, he oversaw operations all over Remnant and normally focused on Atlas. His cell members often operated without him. Excepting all of that, even if he was here waiting for her at the end of this train. So what? She could not abandon her team, her friends. And she would not allow him to kill any more innocents, not this time.

* * *

Neo stared with some worry as Roman moved his way into the cab of the train. He looked frailer than ever, and she was loathing the idea of leaving him here if only for a few minutes. Two of Adam's more elite members sat beside him, they were aura users so she was more at ease than leaving them in the hands of the regular White Fang grunts they worked with, but they weren't anything special barely above a regular person. She felt wrong about doing this.

"Get moving kid, twiddle-dee and twiddle-dum here will keep me safe alright? I need you out there and fighting. I've started detonating the bombs, and I need them slowed down," said Roman with uncharacteristic softness "Once we get to Vale we can go, but we ain't gonna reach it unless they slow down now!"

His two White Fang bodyguards were from Adam's cell seemed to care little about his words, and Neo had to admit even she was unnerved by just how callous they were when it came to the lives of their comrades. They were living embodiments of the idea that 'the ends justify the means'. Even that huge chainsaw wielding White Fang Lieutenant found the Cell Members unsettling, and she was certain the guy was incapable of thinking beyond where to throw his weapon at.

Neo nodded, and grit her teeth as she marched down the train entering each car. As bad as the regular members were, it was the two 'leaders' of the Cell that irked her most. The Sniper, a Bat Faunus who had never given their name and Neo wasn't even sure what gender they were. Aloysius the Bear Faunus was far more straight forward, in a smash-kill kind of way. Roman wasn't fond of him, he made that chainsaw wielding Lieutenant seem a gentleman. The Cell members didn't seem to care much if their lesser brethren died. They always said no honour among thieves, but it seemed with terrorists it was the same.

Neo shook her head, what did it matter if the animals died? Her only concern was getting Roman out of here in one piece; he had saved her from the streets and given her a purpose she hadn't known since those Bandits had taken her family. She was not going to fail him.

She entered into the room, and saw the White Fang Lieutenant wildly swinging his saw in an attempt to hit the Schnee Heiress while Little Red was taking shots at him. The Blonde Brawler and her Kitty-Cat friend were here too. Two vs four. Ok. Hard, but workable.

The White Fang Lieutenant hit the ground hard his mask crunching off the steel floor of the train. He groaned as he tried to get up but a swift kick from the Schnee put him out for the count.

Four vs one.

Fuck.

Neo grinned slightly, not showing that inside she was worried. She was good; there was no doubt about that. She could take anyone of these four one on one. But four vs one. That was going to be hard. But Roman needed her to do it. So she would.

Yang stepped forward growling "You guys go on ahead, I'll deal with her."

The other three moved to run past Neo but in a quick burst of agility she twirled, using her parasol as leverage, kicking the three of them back to the edge of the car before wagging her finger tauntingly. For good measure she leapt back to the door leading to the next car. If they wanted in, they had to get past her. The Lieutenant had surely tired them at least, to his credit, considering all of them were breathing heavily. For a non-aura user that was an amazing feat. But now it was up to her to make sure no one else got through.

The Blondie was the first to move, screaming as she and her fiery fists roared towards Neo's head. But the brawler was a dime a dozen as far as Neo was concerned; she couldn't count the amount of people she had fought that were berserkers. They were scary if you didn't understand them sure, but all it took was a little thinking and a bit of courage and they were sorted.

Neo leveraged her parasol in-between Yang's arms, ducking under her blows before locking the fighter's limbs completely. As Yang struggled to move her arms to grab at her opponent she was kicked and battered, with Neo carefully slamming her feet into Yang's face and ankles in an attempt to stun or disorient her. After a few hits she immediately withdrew the umbrella with it blossoming to deflect the shot coming her way.

Right on time.

Neo cartwheeled towards Little Red quickly, knowing that she had at best ten to twenty seconds for each person before they focused their combined efforts on her. Shock and awe was how she would live or die in this fight. It was all about dismantling them before they moved on her as one. That scythe/sniper-rifle hybrid that her foe was using would be scary if she had not already committed to using it at range, Neo had no doubt that Little Red could rip it from the ground in less than a second and swing it at her. But when you were as agile and quick as Neo was, less than a second just wasn't quick enough.

Neo jumped on to the scythe to keep it in its firing position, and withdrew her sword from the parasol. She stabbed at the head of her opponent watching as the aura flared to protect its host. The sword nipped at the girl continuously as she watched Little Red get flustered. She rapidly tried to get Neo off of her weapon, and Neo decided to oblige her request leaping of the weapon and landing feet first on Red's head crushing her to the ground. Two down, two to go.

Kitty-cat was next, already moving in on her like white on rice to try and protect her fallen friend. She was running her katana towards Neo, so the smaller woman let her do that. Neo pivoted slightly to allow the blade to fall under her arm rather than into it. Her hand snaked around the blade, using her sizable aura reserves to grip it and in a surprising show of strength, for one her size at least, she pulled the Faunus towards her. Or rather into her heeled boot. Down went the Kitten, Neo quickly pressed her boot down on her foolish opponent's neck relishing in the choking noises and tears that came from her eyes. Her defensive aura was not that impressive at all, that or it had already dropped significantly. She supposed they had fought their way here, could explain things.

Oh well, all the better for her. She was fresh.

Fresh as ice-cream

The parasol blossomed once more and deflected the shot from the Schnee Heiress. Neo giggled at her pun, and at the futility of the Schnee's attack. Right on schedule. The little Ice-Queen was full of hell and brimstone trying to stab at her, but Neo knew full well that she wasn't thinking straight. Who would be? She had just annihilated three of her friends rather casually all things considered, it was a surprise that Daddy's little girl hadn't ran off yet.

The rapier nipped at Neo's aura, and she frown pulling back slightly. Getting hit really wasn't a good idea, considering this was an attrition based battle against four opponents. She withdrew her blade again, and baited the heiress in grinning as her feint was accepted completely. The rapier once more screamed in to stab her arm, but Neo had already seen and predicted such a move. She tilted the blade, and caught the revolver part of the rapier perfectly spearing her sword right through the mechanism. The gasp from the heiress was silenced with a powerful kick to the shin forcing her to her knees and a roundhouse to the face knocking her to steel floor with a harsh flood.

There was an explosion and Neo could smell some blood; it seemed that someone's aura had broken fully, or at least weakened enough to allow mortal injuries. She smirked; maybe this wouldn't be hard after all.

She felt damp.

Why?

Her hand went to her side, and gasped quietly. A crimson ichor spilled from her hips, and she felt a bullet hole in her side. She reached in and withdrew the round grunting as it fell to the ground covered in gore like a plant was in soil. Who had shot her?

Two more explosions tore through her, and she fell to her non-injured leg. Her eyes focused on Little Red, seeing the scythe smoking from the Dust shots that had just fired while a grim expression was painted on the girl's face. Neo grimaced.

As she moved to get up and kill the little bitch she cried out silently as she fell to the ground again. Her leg was ruined. She could feel how wet it was with blood, it felt like a lake was spilling out of her. She had to get back to Roman. She had to.

Neo reached into her pocket, while preparing her semblance. A fire dust crystal should kill them, maybe tear the train apart as well but it did not matter at this point. She had heard the bombs already, the Grimm were undoubtedly spilling in from Mountain Glenn and chasing the train. It wouldn't be long before Vale was a battle-royale between man and beast. She didn't plan for her or Roman to be sticking around for that.

Little Red fired again, and Neo smirked as she threw the dust crystal towards the bullet while she shattered into shards teleporting backwards to Roman, but she cried out in pain and fell to the ground. She couldn't move, how had her aura shattered so fast?

A stupid question.

Neo knew how, she had focused too much on ending it quick. She had thrown everything into her moves, and now the price had to be paid. This was a debt that she was not fond of having however.

She bit her tongue and tried to user her parasol to stand herself up. Neo laid down her eyes closing slightly, as the smoke of the room suffocated her. She felt a single hand grip on to her, and smiled slightly as she saw a grimacing Roman pulling her back into the cab of the train before propping her up against the wall.

"That was stupid kiddo," said Roman, tapping her on the side of the head with Melodic Cudgel, "but I appreciate in. All things said though, this is the end of the line."

Neo laughed silently. More puns, if it were not for her being critically wounded and the fact she was in a life and death situation with her best-friend/father-figure, she would say today had been pretty good all things considered.

But all good things come to an end.

* * *

Ruby gasped as the roof of the carriage tore off, the explosion caused by Roman's henchwoman had been much more than she had expected. The ruined and torn metal spiralled down the tunnel, roaring as it scraped across the stone walls. Ruby looked to her Team. Blake stood up, and after checking Yang and Weiss nodded to Ruby. They were fine. Good.

The Huntress stood up, dragging her legs forward and shaking the dust and confusion from herself. She and Blake had to stop this train, before it breached Vale like Uncle Qrow said it was going to. The bombs had already gone off, a horde of Grimm were chasing the train. If it breached into Vale, who knew how many would die? It was time to be the Huntress her mother had been.

Ruby pulled her hood down to stop the smoke getting in her face, and ran into the next carriage. She heard the grunt of Blake as her sensitive eyes cringed from the dust and grit spilling into them. It was near impossible to breath. Ruby tripped, regaining her footing and looking down to see the bloodied corpse of a White Fang member. His rifle was shattered from the explosion. She felt sick.

The smoke cleared finally retreating from the tear in the roof, and while the carriage was empty she could tell what the next room was. The cab, Roman was bound to be in there. She burst into roses and slammed down the door, stopping to see the criminal leaning against the controls while looking at her with a bored smile. His battered henchwoman looked apprehensively at them, but it was clear from her state that she was out of the fight. Blake sped in soon after, all but shoving Gambol Shroud at Roman's throat.

"Little Red and Black cat, my two favourite thorns in my side, how are we? Where's Blondie and the Princess?" asked Roman, using his remaining hand to steady himself on a lever having discarded Melodic Cudgel, "Oh, who cares? I am glad you two came, the naïve little idealistic girl and the jaded realistic ex-terrorist. Unlikely duo, but I've seen stranger."

Ruby frowned before pointing Crescent Rose at him "Shut up Roman, stop the train. Now!"

"Now why would I ever do that? I'm quite found of this train, and I put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this baby. Hell, even my arm! I think I am content to keep on going."

"You'll kill innocent people, what do you gain from this?" cried Ruby, as she took a step forward watching Roman flinch and grip tighter around the lever, "Please you're a thief, not a murderer!"

Roman laughed quietly to himself. "Wrong again Red, you should really have left this to the adults. You're painfully naïve; of course I have nothing to gain from this. I live in the Vale criminal underworld; I make my money from it. The people who will die today may be some of my customers, or the people I steal from. Of course I gain nothing! But that is not what I am worried about. I am worried about what I have to lose!"

His gaze focused on Blake before grinning cheekily "Besides why don't we ask Black Cat over there all about what it takes to kill an innocent for the 'greater good', I think her boyfriend would talk a good story about how well she killed."

Blake's grip on Gambol Shroud tightened "Shut up."

"Oh she talks a good game I'd say; I bet she says she's never killed an innocent. I suppose that may be true directly at least, but the bombings she took part in? I am sure she never told you about all the innocents that died in those, hmm? See, it was when her boyfriend dropped the pretence of 'collateral damage' and started going after civilians directly that our precious little Kitten here walked away. I guess it got harder when you had to admit to yourself that you were killing people."

"I said shut up!"

Blake dug Gambol Shroud even deeper forward, and to her surprise Roman's aura instantly gave way. The sword drew a trickle of blood, but Roman kept smiling. His henchwoman tried to get up, but with a wave from Roman she stopped struggling. The criminal looked at Ruby and tutted to himself.

"Still a touchy topic for her, but what about you hmm?" Roman's grip tightened on the lever. "You're obsessed with being a hero, being a huntress. If I had the energy left, I'd tell you about why everything you believe is wrong. But I'll settle for this Red, today there is nothing any Huntress or Huntsman can do. Not even if Ozpin comes down from his shining tower. No superhero is going to stop me; I am surviving this and getting Neo out of here! And you won't stop me."

Ruby's finger nervously massaged the trigger; she felt a tremor shoot through her as she spoke "Don't Roman, I am warning you!"

"Then shoot Red, see if you have what it takes."

Blake looked to Ruby nervously; she worried that if she stabbed Torchwick he'd still have the strength to break the lever. Ruby would have to kill him. Something Blake wasn't sure if her leader could do.

With a last burst of his Aura, Roman snapped the lever forcing the train to stay its course. As he moved to grab Melodic Cudgel he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and blood began to spill from it. He looked up to see a shocked Ruby Rose who was holding the smoking Scythe, which had blasted a hole in his neck. In the background he heard the pained scream of Neo as she cried out to him faintly calling his name.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to, I just wanted to stop you from breaking the lever-" warbled Ruby, as she dropped her scythe and tried to press her small hands to Roman's neck to keep the blood in.

Roman chuckled, as blood spilled from his mouth. Seems Little Red had grown up, he should be proud all things considered. Guess he wasn't getting out of this alive, he could only hope his little protégé did. He'd miss her. His head turned to face his adopted daughter, the only one that he ever really considered family; he smiled at her despite her crying face and his fatal wound.

"I'm sorry Neo."

Roman Torchwick slumped to the ground dead.

Neo shattered instantly, disappearing from the cabin with only wet spots of blood and tears showing she had ever been there. Blake did the only thing she could think of. She put her arms around Ruby, watching as her leader cried and struggled.

Ruby sobbed as she tried to somehow stop the blood flowing, but it was like a fountain. Why didn't she aim for the arm, or maybe the leg? Why the shoulder? Why had she missed? Ruby felt Blake's arms around her but she didn't care. Huntresses were heroes. Heroes didn't kill people.

She looked up to see the wall that blocked Mountain Glenn from Vale, and gasped as she felt Blake's hands tighten around her bracing the pair of them for impact. Ruby cried out as the world went black under the screeching of metal and the crumbling of rock.

Her eyes shot open, with the black fading to the corners of her eyes. She looked at a crying Yang who was hugging her, whilst whispering reassurances into her ears. Ruby looked over the scenery, seeing Vale's city square with people looking on in shock at the wreckage before them. To her surprise however, a host of Atlesian Knights and even a few Paladins stood poised guarding the breech. Uncle Qrow must have warned them somehow. She saw the black smoke of Grimm already evaporating. Had they done it?

Ruby heard footsteps, far too heavy to be human and yet too lithe to be Grimm or robot. Her eyes shot round, and she felt Yang's grip tighten. Blake and Weiss backed up around her, and Ruby's eyes widened.

A huge figure climbed out from the wreckage of the train flanked by a horde of creeps dripping with a black liquid. A massive Beowolf stalked behind it. The being's face was a skull, and it looked as if it had a hood made of feathers. The creature surveyed the area, looking at the civilians who stared on in shock. It turned to look at Ruby, and she swore it grinned at her.

If Death had a face, Ruby knew she was looking at it.

The Atlesian Knights opened fire, with the Paladins letting lose as well. Dust filled bullets and rockets screamed towards their targets as an orchestra of terror and explosions tore through the Vale air. A storm was kicked up, but Ruby could still see the figure from behind the smoke standing tall and unbent. A red ethereal shield spiralled from its hand as it walked down towards the Team and straight past them. It let lose a hiss as it saw the civilians behind the robots who were turning to run, pointing its sword at the running people directing a symphony of Grimm cries towards their targets.

The Darkwraith had found his quarries. He could finally complete Kaathe's wishes, and humanity's primordial wish even if they did not know it.

He would consume everyone in this city, and move on to the next one and then the next one. Until he had consumed everyone.

Until he had reformed the Dark Soul of Man in himself.

The Fallen Knight of New Londo laughed slightly staring at the darkening sky over the city, a storm beginning to pick up in the air. Finally. He was here.

**"Do you see me Manus?"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry I took so so long to upload. My computer hard drive died, and I had about a half finished Chapter 12 on it. Of course I did find ways such as on other computers to write up a new chapter. Just got it back on Friday, and spent two days finally getting to proof-read my chapter and merge my other Chapter 12 with my prototype chapter. It was messy, but hey I did it.
> 
> In other news, we are reaching the end of the story's first arc if you would. A lot of plot-lines will be concluding in the next few chapters which I would wage will be longer than previous ones. For example this one is over 9k words. I've kinda committed to two theories, one from RWBY and one from Dark Souls that are contested. I mentioned Neo's past with Bandits, I know anyone who watches RWBY can guess who they are. Wait and see, as my theory gets crushed when Neo returns in Volume 6 and Volume 7, if she'll ever return. As for Dark Souls, I have committed to the idea that Manus was the original 'Furtive Pygmy' and like Gwyn he split his soul before going off to die in Oolacile his work done. Thus, the Pygmy Lords in the Ringed City. I could talk all day about for both shows, but this is as much as I can describe at the moment.
> 
> Finally, I am off to Rome this entire week, and won't be back till the Saturday I normally post on. So sorry delays again, I had planned for this but my computer hardrive failing and the longer than planned repair period just made it impossible for me to get another chapter in before today. I'll be leaving the night I post this actually. I'll try and release two chapters in the week after to get back to my customary one per Saturday. Of course that could go to hell so we shall see, anyways hope to see you soon. Stay safe.


	13. Chapter 13

Jaune had been confused at first when the call on his scroll had appeared; he had vaguely recognised it in one of the classes he had been in, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was for. The realisation that it was a priority call back to Vale shocked him, considering such an order had not gone out since the fall of Mountain Glenn according to Ren. JNPR had just reached the village they had been sent to as their first mission as Huntsmen and Huntresses. They hadn't even met the veteran Huntsman they were following yet. But Pyrrha was insistent that this was far bigger than the mission. So Jaune had put in the call for a pick-up.

It had taken a few hours to get a Bullhead dispatched to them, and the first warning sign that not all was right was when the transport arrived. The Bullhead that came was a combat variant, none of his team were Atlesian but the presence of heavy weaponry on it shouted built to kill, and the pilots' no-nonsense attitude and uniforms showed them to be members of Ironwood's army. Vague radio-chatter told Jaune that the VTOL was just one part of the massive Atlesian Fleet that had been dispatched to Vale already.

The flight was long, at least four hours at full speed, but half-way through they had to be further rerouted from their initial destination. Vague whispers from the radio told of a 'total loss' of control around the location of the Breach. Ren and Nora held each other tightly, and Pyrrha's hand found his own. Jaune felt scared, but not for himself. What of the others? What about RWBY? What about Ruby in particular, he didn't want to come back to find his first real friend in Beacon dead. But he had to continue on, he was JNPR's leader. It was his duty

"We're here; I'll be setting down the Bullhead in thirty seconds. You guys should be pretty close to some other Huntsmen and Huntresses down there. Link up with them first," called the Pilot, his muffled voice coming through the speakers of the VTOL.

The metal door opened up, and Jaune gulped as he saw Vale.

At least a quarter of the city was ruined, originating from what Jaune could only guess was the 'Breach' a darkened area that was being barraged by two of the massive Atlesian Warships. A squadron of Bullhead's strafed the ground with high-impact dust rounds, enveloping the area in a sea of fire. The blackened ground was not all scorched, as packs of Beowolves and Ursas raged passed the oncoming firestorm. Griffons and Nevermores patrolled the skies attempting to gut the Bullheads that attacked them.

The inferno raged, but that was not what worried Jaune. What worried him was the storm. Lightening sparked in the air above the Bullhead, but Jaune couldn't say it was natural. Neither rain, nor any real clouds. It was as if the sky had turned black, and the drums of war were beating from it. Thunder echoed across Vale, melding with the sounds of gunshots and the screaming of the Grimm. To Jaune's relief the cries of his fellow man were sparse, and sounded like those of war. Perhaps the civilians had got out.

Perhaps.

He didn't want to mull over the alternative.

"Alright everyone out! Do what you can!"

With that JNPR jumped onto the streets of Vale, a ruined coffee shop and supermarket were not far. A high-rise of apartments lay at the end of the road, damaged but still standing. Jaune at first thought it was abandoned, but he heard steady high-powered shots followed by the scream of Grimm. He recognised that sound anywhere.

Crescent Rose.

Ruby.

With a quick call to his team Jaune ran to the end of the street Aura burning to his legs pushing him onward. They entered the apartment building and climbed the staircase at the speed only Aura users could, before long they had reached the top. Jaune kicked down the door.

The sound of a shotgun cocking caused him to yelp, as a yellow gauntlet forced its way into his face. Milo thrust forward spearing the gauntlet instantly as Pyrrha directed the blast above Jaune, before any more fighting could go down Jaune calmed his Team. His attacker stopped as well sheepishly grinning.

"Sorry Vomit boy, you gave me a bit of a fright there," said Yang, with a hand behind her head nervously scratching.

Weiss watched on, while Blake lay quietly breathing with her eyes closed. Both seemed wounded, the white of their outfits stained a dull red. Weiss was fiddling with something in her hands, but Jaune couldn't make it out. Nevertheless everyone seemed alive. That was good.

A boom ripped through the night air, and a magazine ejected clanging across the ground. Ruby frowned before looking to Weiss who passed her another magazine. The Heiress then grabbed the fallen magazine and began to reload it with dust rounds. Jaune realised that was what she had been doing earlier.

"What happened?" asked Jaune.

Yang smiled slightly "What happened? What didn't happen is a better question." She gestured down to the burning street below them "The Revenant is tearing through the Atlesian Army that have come here, although I think Ironwood has a lot of his pets pinned down near the Breach."

"Revenant?" asked Jaune.

Weiss passed Ruby another clip before turning to answer "We aren't really sure what it is, it appears to be a humanoid Grimm of some description standing eight to nine feet tall. It is absurdly intelligent for a Grimm; Ruby says it even spoke some foreign language although nobody else heard it. It is odd though, it seems completely unconcerned with Huntsmen and Huntresses unless they stand in the way. Its prey is exclusively civilians and Atlesian Military personnel."

"Doesn't mean it doesn't kick ass though," said Yang, "the thing walked through us and the robots in its way. Blake got roughed up bad when she tried to stab it. We've been hoping that some actual Huntsmen will show up and fight it, but anyone who has gone to face it hasn't come back. CFVY left a while ago, and we haven't heard from them since."

Ruby fired one more shot before sighing as the Beowolf fell to the ground crumbling into a black mist. "Sorry we couldn't give a better welcome Jaune, but things are crazy right now. We can't stay here, our scrolls aren't working too well at all, and until you guys showed up we hadn't heard any other human noise in two hours." Ruby choked slightly, and Jaune saw tears, "I think everyone else is dead."

Jaune placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder, before bringing her into a hug. He couldn't imagine how stressful it was to deal with this alone for hours. Ruby smiled, and thanked him quietly before composing herself.

"The Great War memorial should be safe, every time I've looked that way there has been no Grimm or sounds of gunshots. We said we'd go when CFVY came back, but they never did."

"They may not necessarily be dead," said Ren, "when we came in on the Bullhead we saw the devastation. It's very possible that they can't make their way back with all the Grimm and the destruction to the streets."

Yang smiled "Best news I've heard all day, I didn't want to believe that Coco and Yatsu would go down that easy. Fox and Velvet neither. I figured they'd at least sound off before biting the bullet."

Jaune looked over at the memorial. It was about five kilometres or so away, so while a decent distance it was not much to an aura user. Even one as inexperienced as him.

"I think we could make it," said Nora readying Magnhild, "to the memorial I mean. But…maybe we could stop a few times for a bit of fun?"

Jaune nodded slowly looking at Ruby before sighing "What about Blake, can she fight?"

"I've got that covered Vomit-Boy," said Yang with a hint of cheer hauling her partner onto her back unceremoniously, "she's put on a few pounds but I can still carry her. Don't think she'll be fighting for a while though."

Ruby smiled slightly before nodding to her Team and JNPR. She jumped off the roof and with a burst of her semblance made her down the roof. Jaune followed swiftly digging Crocea Mors into the building to slow his descent. He was still not good enough to jump from a building this high and break his fall solely through Aura, even if he had lots of it.

The street was littered with the ruined remains of Atlesian Knights, and even a single burnt-out Paladin sat callously abandoned into the ruins of a bakery. Jaune could smell blood, and while he couldn't see anything in particular, the crimson ichor seeping from under a pile of ruin left little in the way of subtlety. How had this happened?

Beowolves howled, but as Jaune looked behind him he could see only his Team and Team RWBY. No sign of Grimm. It was horrifying and unnatural for there to be so much death and the Grimm moving on anyways. The textbooks said they liked to remain to eat.

Then again, none of this was textbook.

Suddenly a gust of wind nearly blew him down, and Jaune fell to his knees. Pyrrha, Ren and Nora similarly fell down before getting up quickly. Jaune heard Yang mutter something about a 'bird' under her breath, before he heard a shrill caw followed by a sickly shriek.

A Nevermore crashed on top of a building just barely above them, and Jaune was immediately taken back by the tar-like substance coating its wings and the angry red eyes that pierced through him. It crooned softly as it gazed at them.

"Oh come on, not you again," moaned Yang, struggling to load Ember Celica without dropping Blake.

As Team RWBY and JNPR trained their weapons on the Grimm, it turned its head instead gazing at the two Atlesian ships glassing the area around the Breach. With one last look at them, the Nevermore tore into the air in a burst of purple energy soaring towards the airship. It smashed into a Bullhead along the way, before the squadron changed directions and moved to engage the Nevermore. Jaune watched it rip through them like paper, its mighty talons rending the wings and engines from the VTOLs. His grip tightened around his sword.

"There's nothing we can do," said Pyrrha softly squeezing his hand to relax his grip. Jaune nodded slowly before turning to lead his team towards the memorial. It didn't feel right. At all.

It wasn't long before they reached there; no Grimm interrupted them along the way. Jaune was taken back by the Atlesian Military presence there. Before him stood an array of Paladins, Knights and even human Atlesian soldiers at behind sandbags and barricades training their weapons on them. They looked worse for were.

"Hunters," said a voice and one of the soldiers raised his hand with the robots and men lowering their weapons, "man am I glad to see you guys."

"In-training actually," said Jaune meekly.

"Son at this point I don't care if all you have is Aura and a good attitude, we are due company in about three mikes."

Ruby turned to Yang "Mikes?"

"Army-talk for minutes Rubes."

A muffled explosion rang through the air, and the Atlesian Sergeant frowned directing the garrison left towards the noise. He turned to look at Jaune "We really could use some help guys, so please. Stay."

Team JNPR's leader nodded and directed Pyrrha to the front of the sand bags. Ren and Nora took the flank, readying their weapons. Ruby directed her team similarly, anchoring Crescent Rose into the ground. A soldier ran down the street, his weapon mangled beyond repair and dripping with a black tar. He began hollering as he saw the group ahead.

"It's coming!"

A figure sprinted around the corner in a blur of smoky black, stabbing the retreating man through his chest lifting the struggling person into the air. Its hand snaked round the soldier's mouth, and he simply ceased to be. The torpor and colour drained from him, and he seemed to mummify in mere seconds. His eyes closed over, while he hung limply in the figure's grasp.

A skull-like face gazed at its newfound prey and cocked slightly. It unceremoniously dumped the corpse of its prey, ripping the sword from the fallen man. A black Aura caressed the edge of its bone armour, and it growled looking straight past the hunters and robots and at the Atlesian soldiers. It's a white light burned from the palm of its hand.

"The Revenant," whispered Ruby.

Wordlessly it jumped into the air straight past the sandbags, and landed in front of the Atlesian Sergeant. Its hand embedded itself into the soldier's chest, and he soon found himself drained screaming all the while. The Revenant repeated the process at lightning speed, moving almost too fast for Jaune to see. The Atlesian Automatons opened fire, but the Revenant weaved between the volley with child-like ease making its way to the next soldier and then the next. It turned its attention to the robots once finished with its meal.

"Nora, hit it!" cried Jaune readying Crocea Mors for a swing.

She needed no further invitation screaming as she swung Magnhild with all her might. Just as her hammer was about to introduce itself to the side of the creature's head, a red shield blossomed into being and redirected her. Nora found herself skidding into the concrete ground, her aura flaring to protect herself from the wounds she would have sustained.

The Atlesian machines did not stand a chance; the Revenant broke the Knights over its armoured knee and tore into the cockpits of the Paladins with cries and blood spilling out from the pilots underneath, before the familiar white light from the Revenant's hand ended the crying permanently. Once it finished it turned to the Hunters with an almost bored expression despite its unchanging face. The sword hung loosely in its hand. The two Hunter teams readied their weapons to fight.

The Darkwraith twirled the weapon in front of himself, loosening its joints slightly. These fools were not prey, and were not even worthy of playing with. But it appeared that he was being given much of a choice. Far be it for a Knight of New Londo to turn down a challenge, no matter how poor.

Pyrrha leapt in, Miló and Akoúo̱ ready to fight. She raised Akoúo̱ quickly to cover her as she made a stab with Miló, but her spear only met the flat side of her opponent's blade. It watched her with vague amusement, before calmly pushing her back. Barely a shove, not even enough to send her to the ground.

Jaune watched as the Revenant circled Pyrrha slightly, she was taller than the average woman he'd say, but she was like a child in front of the dark being. It suddenly came to a stop and buried its sword into the concrete, a feat of massive strength considering how the sword simply shattered into the ground below. The creature laid a hand on its sword, and tilted slightly.

It was waiting for them to do something.

Nora raised Magnhild once more, and came behind Pyrrha. Yang followed up, laying Blake down to avoid hurting her. Jaune finally joined them, made four close-combat specialists. Well, he wasn't really a specialist but the idea was there. Ren was more of a hybrid, but he could come and go as he pleased shooting or brawling when and how the situation demanded.

Ruby was similar, but Jaune could tell her long-ranged combat skills would be useful as would Weiss'. He feared that their opponent would only find it too easy to deal with all of them if they rushed in to fight and punch it. Ranged options would be very useful in such a fight. Ruby could deal with that side of the fight; he would have to direct the up close and personal.

Blake was out for the count, so Jaune was glad that Yang had her safely placed behind sandbags; she good thirty or so feet away, she should be safe.

"Pyrrha, Yang take its right. Nora and me will go for the left, alright?"

The pair nodded, before jumping in.

The Revenant ripped its sword from the ground, deflecting a strong punch from Ember Celica with the flat of the blade. Miló stabbed forward under the blade, aiming for the creature's thigh. The attack failed however as Pyrrha saw her javelin seized quickly bringing her close. A boot collided with her face and she saw stars knocking her to the ground in a heap. Her semblance struggled to affect the sword, and she couldn't do anything to his armour. Was it armour? Was it metal? She wasn't sure.

Magnhild roared round to slam into dark being's head, while Crocea Mors sliced under to cut at the ankles of its target. Yang continued to struggle to punch the creature, as it kept deflecting and parrying her strikes with its blade. Just as the mighty warhammer was about to slam into it the Revenant ducked backwards letting the weapon crest over its face. The being went vertical, keeping itself up with one of its arms while kicking at Jaune who had went for its weaker areas. Yang groaned as its left heel cracked over her head, ignoring her Aura and gashing open her head. She fell backward dazed and confused, but her hair igniting and her eyes burning.

The Revenant wasted no time, turning to face Nora who came in for an overhead slam. She smelled the coppery taste of blood in the air, and amongst the black-tar that dripped from the creature she fought she could see the crimson blood that silently slid across it. She knew it wasn't the creature's own, and that only made her angrier.

The wraith didn't parry the hammer, perhaps in doubt that even with its strength that such a feat was worth while attempting, and instead stepped to the side, letting Nora harmlessly smash the ground beside it. The shockwave might have harmed lesser fighters, but the Revenant was no such being. It wrapped its right hand around the shaft of the hammer, and drew Nora into a vicious head-butt. Her nose broke and she tasted blood dripping down her bust lip. She couldn't see right. The wraith raised its sword over its head, and despite her injuries Nora raised Maghild in kind to block the move. As the blade came down Nora readied herself to deflect it, perhaps send the monster into the dirt with a counterstrike of her own.

The blade sailed from the side at the last second, and Nora blinked as it crashed into her side instead gashing into her. She felt the sword slicing into her ribcage. She coughed, and blood spilled onto the Revenant's chest. It brought her closer, before gripping her neck with its free hand. Magnhild fell from her grasp. She could hear muffled shouting, but couldn't make out who or what was talking. All she could hear was the air splitting as the Revenant's blade drew back to stab through her skull, and the soft breathing it made. Like it was excited.

Everything happened as once. The Darkwraith shrieked as a high-calibre dust round and an icy burst tore through its hand, forcing it to drop the Darksword it had wielded for a millennia. Ren flew over his head peppering StormFlower's green dust shells into the top of the Darkwraith's hood, before landing on the being's shoulders. Ren sunk StormFlower into the soulless black chasm where the creature's eyes should have been, ripping them out with a satisfied grunt when he saw a black liquid pool after his blades. He grabbed Nora pulling her away, just in time for Crocea Mors to pierce through the soft part of the Darkwraith's side while Miló shot straight through its ankle with a sickening crack. Yang followed up with a punch to the back which sent the creature sprawling into a heap a dozen feet away from her, for her coup de grace Yang picked up the fallen beings sword aiming it perfectly. The weapon curved downwards and cut straight through the Revenant's back. She smiled slightly.

"Good job everyone," said Jaune, panting slightly. He hadn't gotten hit, but he had put nearly his entire Aura into that attack, he'd even gotten Crocea Mors stuck in the Revenant. His aura was beyond exhausted. He couldn't have dealt with one more second of that.

" **Ah."**

Jaune turned to see the Revenant climbing to its feet, its black blood dripping from it like a fountain. Its hand gripped firmly on its own blade tearing the sword out of its back. The being's gaze focused on the blade with some interest, watching as its own blood bubbled over the sword shining in the darkened light that it had created over Vale.

The Revenant muttered slightly, but Jaune could not make out at all what it was saying. It was no language he spoke, or had ever heard for that matter. But the fact a Grimm was talking scared him beyond belief. That was beyond intelligence. That was sentience.

A ravaged hand reached out slightly, as the Revenant pointed towards Ruby in particular calling out in its foreign tongue. She gave no response, only reloading Crescent Rose and aiming at its head. Her intent was noted by the creature, as it straightened up slightly. The dark Aura that coated it began to spread, healing the wounds that the Revenant had incurred. Jaune swore the hood looked alive lashing out bitterly at the world around it as the purple Aura enveloped it. A crescent arc of lightning struck the Revenant as it exploded into a brilliant violet display of colour. It looked at him in particular, before starting to walk towards the Hunters.

Jaune couldn't say why, but it gripped him. The way it stalked towards him, a perverted mixture between man and monster. The Revenant appeared barely a step from him before grabbing Crocea Mors, still embedded in its side, and throwing it to the ground in front of Jaune. It cocked its head, as Jaune stared at the blade. It too bubbled under the blood of the Revenant. Lightning began to strike around them preventing intervention unless one wished to be singed to ashes.

The Huntsman grimaced before taking the blade, he knew he was unlikely to stand much of a chance but damn it he had to try. Heroes did not give up, and if he ran here how could he live with himself? How could his Team live with him? There was no choice to make. It was a done deal.

He would fight.

Just as his ancestors had done.

Pyrrha recognised what the creature wanted, and knew that Jaune stood no chance. She leapt forward; she would not let the Revenant harm Jaune. She couldn't let this happen. She didn't care if she risked being electrocuted, burnt or pulverised. She wasn't about to let it happen.

The skill of her countless tournament matches proved useful, as Pyrrha barely dodged the strike of lightning that lashed at her defending its master. She raised her spear, Miló screaming towards her target. This was it.

The Revenant grabbed Miló's shaft, before flinging Pyrrha away using her momentum. She slammed through the window of a building, and groaned even as her aura shielded her. A wall of lightning crashed around the house, all but pinning her in the wreckage she had found herself in. She screamed at Jaune, for him to run. But she knew he would not. He was too stubborn. It was why she loved him. But this wasn't the time for bravery.

Even a Champion knew when they were outmatched.

Jaune struck first, and to his surprise his attack rang true. He landed a nick across the Revenant's forearm. It hissed, but Jaune could not tell whether it was from pain or excitement. He was pouring everything left of his aura into these attacks, it was all or nothing. Even so, Crocea Mors cut far better than it should have. The blood on it boiled as purple steam rose from the steel. He wasn't going to question it right now.

Jaune prepared another sideways slash, this time from the right. The creature favoured holding its sword in its dominant left-hand; his attack might avoid its guard and even mortally wound it because of its overreliance on its left side; the Revenant side-stepped the attack as Crocea Mors came in using its momentum to whirl around Jaune for a side-slash of its own in response, with all the power of its nine-foot body.

Jaune blocked. Barely. His arms ached from the strength of the blow. The Revenant's purple haze ate at his sword, and it leaned down to gaze at its opponent. It broke his guard with a powerful shove of its sword, following with another one of its favoured kicks straight to Jaune's stomach. He felt winded beyond repair.

The creature once again raised its sword above its head, content to split Jaune in half. He was winded, and new that this time there was no way he would be able to block the move. The Revenant was moving with its sword, as if they were one being. His sword would be shattered facing such a force. That left one option.

Jaune shouted as he sliced with all of his might, Crocea Mors screeched across the Revenant's armour bathing him in a torrent of blood. The Revenant hissed again, but Jaune knew this was one was caused by pain. It gripped its fresh wound, trying to keep itself from bleeding over the concrete ground. Its baleful gaze told Jaune one thing.

It was done playing.

Pyrrha saw her opportunity, in that split second. The moment Jaune had landed that slice, the lightning ebbed away. It was momentary, fleeting even. Something that only someone of her honed reactions would notice, but it was the opportunity she needed. The Revenant was distracted with its anger for Jaune and its wound. It wouldn't be paying attention.

Now.

Now was the time to strike.

She shot forward once more, this time her semblance encroached on the Revenant's sword. It finally yielded to her forcing it to remain still. Pyrrha kept silent as she soared towards her target. The creature noticed, turning its head and body but its sword stayed firmly in front of Jaune. The sunken holes where it eyes should have been widened slightly, in a universal sign of panic.

She had it, she almost smiled. She would save him. She would do it.

The Revenant blurred, in a purplish haze. Pyrrha could barely see its outline, but she guessed it had turned back to try and yank its sword towards her. It wouldn't work; her semblance had hold of it now. She saw an outline, and that was all she needed.

Milo struck. And Pyrrha screamed in horror.

Jaune coughed, blood spilling from his mouth as he was held by the scruff of his neck by the Revenant, in front of its own chest. Pyrrha's prodigious strike rang true as ever, straight through his unshielded heart. He heard the harsh laughter of the creature, as it observed the chaos in front of it.

Pyrrha's hand went to Jaune's face, leaving Miló in. She tried to limit the blood loss, but she knew where she had hit. She knew that he had no chance. She knew she had killed him.

"Jaune," whimpered Pyrrha.

The Darkwraith dumped the boy's body to the ground, watching with interest as his red-headed opponent clutched the boy to her chest crying as his life ebbed away. He turned to face the others, who seemed horrified, panicked and angered at the same time.

There it was the look of true fear. Not the fear of loss of life, nor injury. The fear caused by knowing that no matter what you did, one could not stop the inevitable. The Darkwraith was inevitable and he relished it.

Pyrrha grabbed Jaune lifting him on to her shoulder, with one look at Ruby everyone knew that it was time to leave. Yang grabbed Blake, while Weiss helped Ren pull Nora back who was screaming and crying with rage. The Revenant watched bemused as they fell back.

A petty distraction, but they were not prey. Interesting creatures they were, these Hunters. How did these humans manage to purge their own fragments of the Dark Soul of Man?

* * *

Cinder grinned to herself thinking of the memory of the explosion that crippled Vale. The smoke rising from the city, and the cacophony of screams from the legion of Grimm pouring had been music to her ears. Salem would be pleased with these developments when she heard of them.

There was still the case of the Revenant, but her Queen seemed unworried by its power. Either as she was stronger, or perhaps because she knew all too well how it worked. Cinder was not sure, but as she often told Emerald it was not her place to think. She obeyed.

The elevator softened to a halt, and the doors opened bathing Cinder's red dress in an eerie green light. A quick survey of the area revealed no one immediately close to her, but she needed to be cautious. Her power was without question, but neither Mercury nor Emerald were here to support her at this time. She needed them to provide some limited deniability in case they wondered where the Haven students were during the Breach.

Once she had claimed what was hers, they would have no need for deniability because no one would be left in Vale to accuse.

Cinder also knew that they were not powerful enough to truly aid her in this situation, only Emerald's semblance was worth using and its effect would be limited in such an enclosed space. No this required her burning touch.

"Salutations! I'm sorry but this is a restricted area, leave now or I will have to use force!" called a voice from down the corridor.

Cinder frowned, but kept moving. She had expected Ozpin or perhaps that boorish General Ironwood to be down here. Maybe even Goodwitch. She didn't recognise the voice, but it mattered little. There was no one here that could oppose her. She'd roast that voice's owner the moment that she saw them.

Soon her opponent came into view, and Cinder's smile grew wider. Was this it? Truly? A red-headed little girl, come to stop her? The rightful Fall Maiden? She wanted to laugh, but the display was so pathetic it was impossible to do so. Her 'opponent' had dropped into a fighting stance, but Cinder did not feel the need to oblige her. She had no problem killing her of course, but her Queen wouldn't mind her enjoying herself before killing Amber and claiming what was hers. It wouldn't even be a fight.

"Now, what do we have here?" murmured Cinder, wandering closer despite the clear apprehension present on the girl's face. She could see the dull glow of her green Aura, melding well with the lighting of the room.

The red-headed girl stepped forward "I am Penny Polendina, and I have to inform you that I had to inform my superiors of your presence the moment you got on the elevator."

Cinder frowned, as she heard a cane strike the ground calmly and a riding crop strike flesh a few times. She turned to see Ozpin and his little sidekick Goodwitch. A frustrating development. But still, perhaps she could fell two birds with one stone. It was time for a bit of taunting.

"I am grateful Penny, my Queen will be glad for me to dispose of these obstructions right here right now, but I am detecting an absence of an important figure, if you wouldn't mind telling me, where is Qrow Branwen?" said Cinder smiling slightly as she shifted her attention to Ozpin in particular, "It wouldn't feel right to claim the rest of what Amber has were he not here to see it. After all it was his failing that let me take it from her in the first place, and I do have to pay him back for all the inconvenience he caused me."

Cinder heard a weapon unfurl, and turned to see Qrow pointing Harbinger at her. The sword gleamed in the unearthly light, but Qrow's expression was anything but happy or confident. Cinder felt a chill in her; there was nothing but pure rage on that face. She straightened herself, she did not feel fear. Salem would not allow that, she had come too far to allow that.

"My nieces are out there fighting off hordes of Grimm and a monster that I didn't even believe existed until a few weeks ago," snarled Qrow advancing on her sword drawn, "and I am stuck dealing with you. Let's make this quick."

Cinder's hands burst into flames.

"Yes, let's."

She threw a ball of fire straight at Qrow, allowing the traces of Maiden power in her to empower her attack. She heard the scream of the fireball as it exploded in Branwen's face. But she had little time to capitalise.

An army of knives soared over her head; Cinder dodged noting that the little red-head was behind it. This did not bode well. She yelped slightly as Ozpin rammed his cane into her rapidly all but stabbing her, his speed was such that Cinder could barely see what he was doing. Goodwitch kept her under pressure as well, her telekinetic powers hurling ripped pieces of concrete from the walls, while her crop focused purple dust-based beams of light on her. This was not good; this was not good at all. Far too many projectiles, so little space.

Had she underestimated Ozpin, Goodwitch and Qrow. They were strong yes, but not like her. Salem had told her that none were like her. None.

"You won't stop me, not here!" roared Cinder, pouring every ounce of maiden power in her that she had obtained from Amber into a huge beam of fire. This would end them.

The attack roared toward Goodwitch and Ozpin, turning the concrete beneath them into molten rock. Cinder smirked, if they dodged the attack it would go straight to Amber, who she could feel was down at the end of the hall in the life-support machine. She would have won, if they didn't they would surely be vaporised. Salem would be pleased either way.

A purple glyph appeared in front of Glynda, and Ozpin crouched channelling his Aura in an all-encompassing shield. Penny moved to the side still shooting knives at Cinder who desperately tried to dodge them, while Qrow moved in with the fury and strength to cut her in half.

The beam struck, and deflected to the side. Cinder screamed in rage, watching in strike a metal table incinerating it instead. How? How could they be powerful enough to do this? It just wasn't possible. It wasn't.

A feral roar covered the room, and for a moment everyone stopped. Cinder blinked, as the smoke cleared from where here beam had hit. The smoking rock and molten metal obscured her sight, but she saw a silhouette in the smoulder. On all fours. A Grimm? Some animal?

Qrow shook his head in disbelief "You have got to be kidding."

A being clad in blackened and warped metal armour crawled forward, holding a longsword in its right hand. Cinder could see its burnt face, but what entranced her was its skin. It was as if it was burning from the inside, like a fire was roaring under the person's skin. Even its torn cape was smouldering, a blaze seemed to be about to erupt at any second. Its blue eyes began to glow as it gazed at her, before turning to Qrow.

Penny rushed forward; she didn't know how Gerhardt had got up again but the aggression he was showing had to be stopped now. It was imperative to the mission. Amber was top priority. She only hoped Ruby would forgive her for this.

The android drew closer, but the Outrider did not look at her still gazing at Qrow intently. Just as her knives arced above her back to spear him Penny stopped.

A metal gauntlet had speared through her chest, and as the Outrider crushed her inner circuitry in its hand it still did not once look at her. Penny felt her optics darkening, as the power in them began to fail. Her body was slammed into the ground in front of the Knight, and its longsword pierced straight through her.

Qrow's face darkened as he saw the android dying before his eyes, its expression frozen in shock. Gerhardt still looked at him intently.

"I take it you hold grudges?" quipped Qrow, readying Harbringer into its scythe form.

Gerhardt ripped his sword, and Penny's corpse into the air flinging her body at Qrow before leaping forward screaming bloody murder. Qrow swore his smouldering cape had exploded wings of blackened fire.

"Shit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, a day late. I think I benefit from the extra-day to proof read to be honest, so I am pushing updates to Sundays instead of Saturdays. Sorry if that is an inconvenience for anyone. It's likely that I would benefit from a beta reader, but my writing schedule is far too messy to subject anyone to it save myself. That and I don't think my story is big or important enough to warrant one. Anyways. Big chapter, but not the leviathan that was last chapter. Next chapter should be a similar length if not longer, as I have said we are reaching the end of the story's first arc. Already the major plot divergences have occurred, but there are more to come so I hope to keep things interesting.
> 
> I know its cliche, but my sincere thanks to everyone who followed, favourited, or reviewed so far I love to heard from you guys. Don't worry if you are a guest and don't follow or review. I did the same for years, so I am glad my story is entertaining.
> 
> No major lore notes, but if anyone is interested you can always PM for my interpretation of Dark Souls lore sometimes I am slow on the reply but I endeavour to always respond.
> 
> Finally I think I will be editing my story on the side over the next few weeks, there are a few typos that escaped my eyes as I posted them so I will be trying to smooth those wrinkles out over the next few weeks or even rewrite some sentences or paragraphs to be more engaging. I wouldn't both re-reading them unless you want to, because I will not be changing the story or anything like that. Of course this takes backseat to me actually updating. Anyways, stay safe everyone and I hope to see you next Sunday.


	14. Chapter 14

"Alright then, let's dance," said Qrow, already deflecting a blow from the rabid Knight who screamed across the ground towards him. He saw Oz and Glynda looking to him, but they were now being preoccupied by Cinder who had taken the opportunity for a fairer fight.

With the fire burning under his opponent's skin, and the feral nature of how he fought, Qrow was struggling to keep up. When he had faced him previously the Knight had hit hard yes, but he had been 'human' in how he attacked. Or at least similar to how a Huntsman could attack. Gerhardt now stabbed and slashed as if he was a dog given a sword. He had forsaken his halberd, in favour of a simple longsword. The Knight didn't even stand on two legs, instead dropping to the ground using his left hand to steady his body as he made his way around like an animal.

Harbinger struck, and blood spewed from the Lost Knight's neck. Gerhardt cared little forcing himself further onto the Scythe before skewering Qrow with his longsword tearing straight through his aura instantly. The Huntsman hissed in pain as he stepped back, specks of his blood spilled onto his opponent and he saw a light cover Gerhardt briefly. Qrow's wounds bled, while Gerhardt's could be healed nigh instantly; even the Knight's fingers, which had been cut off, had grown back. The wound Qrow had just landed had sealed shut, as if it were never there.

The armoured warrior leapt into the air, and Qrow found himself struggling to keep sight of him. Gerhardt landed behind the Huntsman, and slammed into him ploughing his prey into the floor. A vicious knee rammed itself incessantly into Qrow's back, who could only thank that while Gerhardt ignored the protective layer of Aura he didn't ignore the healing of it.

Qrow hit back, thumping his head into the Knight's face. Gerhardt was stunned, and Qrow was glad because it let him recover. He turned dropping Harbinger and grabbed Gerhardt's head, watching as the ice-cold eyes widened in surprise. In a massive burst of Aura Qrow snapped the head to the side wincing as he heard the sickening crack. His opponent slumped forward.

The Huntsman brushed himself off, before grabbing Harbinger and aiming the shotguns at Cinder who seemed to be finally getting the upper-hand over Glynda and Ozpin. His intervention was cut short, by the ringing of a bell.

Qrow hit the ground again, and his ears rang from the sound of the shrieking. Even Cinder turned to look in his direction briefly before going back to fight her own battle. Qrow felt his nose break as he was repeatedly smashed off the hard ground by two metal hands. He once again felt the reinforced metal knee but this time it dug into his neck. His body roared in pain as he felt the gauntlets stop pushing and instead begin pulling, using the knee to keep him in place.

The Knight was trying to rip his head off.

As the Gerhardt began to naturally call on the Deep to increase his power, feeling it cease its protection momentarily, he felt a sharp pain on the left side of his temple. He grunted slightly and looked up, before a block of concrete smashed against his face knocking him from Qrow. His neck broke once more, an impossible feat for most in such a timespan. Gerhardt's head loosely hung to the side. His hand soared towards his chime, and with another ring he healed himself standing on two feet. Qrow made to get up, but a stab of his longsword through the man's calf kept him pinned. Gerhardt left the sword there, instead getting on all fours as he stared at the Witch who had harmed him so.

He charged his mind filled with haze and rage and the desire for revenge. To make the Witch feel as helpless as he had felt, to make everything that stood in his way feel that pain. Gerhardt could barely think, barely feel. But he could hear; the whispers of the Pontiff had becomes shouts. Demands. To fight, to kill, to survive.

Oh how he had missed the simplicity of battle.

Glynda's riding crop slashed at the Knight, but did little to nothing to his armoured chest while the creature pinned her to the ground. Ozpin grunted, but was unable to help as now Cinder fought him one on one. Glynda screamed as Gerhardt's teeth sunk into her shoulder while his two hands pressed down on her face trying to crush her. Her Aura did nothing, parting like a gate for the hands and teeth of the Outrider. A hunk of flesh was torn from her shoulder. Glynda felt revolted as she smelled her own coppery blood leak across the ground and heard the sound of chewing.

The Knight's hands left her face, instead his knee crushed just under her breasts allowing him to force his entire weight down onto the top of her stomach.

She was being pinned to the ground, so that he could eat her alive.

Glynda gagged, as her own blood dripped onto her face while the Knight continuing eating. The sound was horrifying by itself, but the noise of Gerhardt was even worse. It sounded far more vicious than any Grimm, more bestial than any animal and more satisfied than any human. She could see the flashes of viciously carved teeth, but she knew just by how they looked that those were not artificial.

It wasn't right. The Knight just wasn't right.

Gerhardt's head dipped into her bloody shoulder, and tore out another hunk of flesh. Whilst he ate he kept an idle eye on the Huntsman who had felled him previously, who was slowly reaching towards his weapon while pinned to the ground. Goodwitch beneath him couldn't do anything with her own weapon at the moment, but better safe than sorry. He grabbed the whip and threw it across the room. Gerhardt finished his meal, before striking the Goodwitch across the face with a solid right hook watching with some satisfaction and she spit up some of her teeth.

Now for that Huntsman.

Qrow grunted in anger as he saw Glynda lying back in a pool of her own blood, while the Lost Knight snaked his way back towards him on all fours. Qrow knew as far as the Knight was concerned he was the sheep, and the Knight the wolf. But Qrow didn't get this far in life by waiting to be slaughtered.

His hand found Harbinger and pulled it towards him, readying the shotguns just in time to point at the Knight who had opened his mouth to eat again.

Qrow almost smiled, this was going to be cliché.

"Chew on this."

The shotguns exploded straight into Gerhardt's mouth as a fine red mist exited the back of the Knight's head. Were he wearing his helmet, it likely would have just grazed him if it even penetrated the thick Irithyllian steel. But as it was it ripped straight through his brain like a knife through paper, and Qrow's shotguns were anything but small. The bastardised amalgamation of a living being made Ashen was anything but perfect. Gerhardt looked at Qrow in some confusion, before falling to the ground his brain eviscerated and leaking out of the hole in his skull. The Deep desperately attempted to repair, but nothing remained to heal.

It could only create anew.

Such a shot would have killed any Grimm, Human or animal. But Qrow didn't think the Knight fit any of those three categories so he wasn't taking his chances. He lay Harbinger down again, and with a grunt of pain ripped the sword from his foot.

A bell rung.

Qrow turned to see a very angry Outrider growling at him.

"God damn it."

The Knight's hands seized his longsword, before carefully cutting across Qrow's cheek drawing some blood; he then grabbed his target's head and brought him forward. Gerhardt flipped his blade in his right hand grabbing the blade before mashing the pommel viciously into Qrow's face relishing the cracking noises and blood spurting onto his armour. For good measure he placed his knee one final time upon the Huntsman, this time upon his arm. He wrenched it upwards with a sickening snap, choking with laughter as he heard the cry of pain from Qrow.

The Huntsman passed out, and Gerhardt lost interest. He confusedly stared at the women laying bleeding in the centre of the room, blinking. Who was she? The woman was gagging as she tried to stop her blood pooling onto the floor, if she had no medical attention she would surely die. It mattered little to him.

Where was he again?

His eyes focused on the Red Woman, who had finally gotten the upper-hand over her opponent. He couldn't remember why, but he felt captivated by her? His memory felt beyond hazy. Had he just woken up, or was he dead? It felt like a dream. He saw a frozen city, an impossibly tall figure brandishing twin swords of purple magic and brazen fire. He recognised the flames, but the magic seemed foreign. He saw the bustle of slender knights alongside tall figures carrying massive staffs that held that same familiar flame patrolling the streets of the city. He heard the motherly laughter of a woman, before the same voice screamed in defiance saying she would never yield. A soft yet powerful voice whispered to him, but try as he might Gerhardt could not make sense of it.

A singular image focused in his eyes, a figure clad in a blackened hood of crow feathers. A human skull, eyeless and expressionless gazed back from the hood. What was this creature, and why did he feel obsessed with it? Like he had to find it?

He felt hungry. So hungry.

A realisation shot through his mind. Lost, he was lost. He must be lost. Must be. But from where? Lost from who?

The deathly figure promised answers, Gerhardt was sure of it. But where could he find such a being? Was he in this room, nay in this very land?

The man collapsed, using his cane to barely hold himself up. What was the man's name again? Gerhardt's head hurt.

He couldn't remember.

He couldn't remember anything. All he felt were emotions, burning hatred for the man below him, hunger for the bleeding woman across from him. Interest for the man collapsing. And gratitude. Gratitude for the Red Woman. He felt drawn to her, why?

Gerhardt gripped his hand, blinking in confusion. His hand was on fire, and yet he didn't burn.

How?

Words surged through him. Unkindled ash. Not fit for cinders. Such phrases rang familiarly in his ears, like the sounds of a mother or father to an infant child. They felt familiar, but meant little to him.

What was he, who was he? Gerhardt. He knew that. He knew he was a Knight, but a Knight of who? A Knight for what? Who was his liege-lord? Who was his master? A Knight needed a lord. Had he one?

Flashes of ashen figures, clad in chains walking along hallowed frozen streets ran across his eyes. He could only thing of one word. Slaves? Was he a slave? That was preposterous, he was a Knight! One could not be a Slave Knight? Gerhardt pushed the thought to the back of his mind, forcing it to perish.

That was not what mattered right now. He could feel the flame from this woman. The words Pyromancer and Fire Witch came to mind, they felt right but Gerhardt was unsure of what they actually meant. Where were they from? Ideas from books he had read? Fables in his dreams? He couldn't tell, it scared him.

But she had done this, she had saved him. He knew she had. He owed her his life; a debt of loyalty such as that was not so easily dismissed. Gerhardt's felt that he owed loyalty elsewhere, but he couldn't place it. A figure holding two swords briefly flashed before his eyes, but faded like smoke leaving his head empty as it had been before.

Gerhardt watched with interest as the woman walked passed the collapsed man, seeming to relish his powerlessness to stop her. She walked towards what Gerhardt could only describe as a metal coffin, with a transparent glass screen showing an occupant who seemed to feel strangely familiar to the woman who had saved him. An obsidian black bow materialised in the Red Woman's hands, and with a smile she loosed an arrow straight through the glass.

The occupant's hazel eyes opened in shock, before closing as a glow began to exit from her. The Red Woman opened her arms; the yellow glow went straight to her as if it were coming home. The Knight's eyes widened as he saw her irises begin to glow with fire. His skin prickled in familiarity. She lifted into the air, a blaze fashioning into a storm wrapping around her firmly. The woman began to softly laugh, as she stared back at the collapsed man.

"I'll admit you had it well defended, but truly to have her hidden away right beneath our feet? My feet? Such arrogance, the Queen was all too right about you."

In a surprising burst of speed, the collapsed man sped towards the bleeding witch, hoisting her on to his shoulder while doing the same with the broken man that Gerhardt had felled. He even grabbed a metal girl, Gerhardt felt hazy but he was sure he recognised the golem. He swore that he could give her a voice, like one he had heard in a dream. The Knight grunted holding his head in pain.

All these familiar faces without names or stories, what had happened to him? What had that man done? He raised his head and roared in anger.

The woman raised her hand, preparing what looked to be a particularly powerful attack that would surely annihilate her retreating foes.

But she stopped, instead lowering her hand and smiling slightly "Run then, I'll come find you later."

Gerhardt ignored his curiosity over his saviour, instead making his way to the metal table that had been his prison. He stared at his missing digits, lying on the ground still clad in their armour. His eyes wandered to his hands. He noticed despite this he was missing no fingers. But he knew that the ones lying on the floor were his.

So he had lost them, but they had grown back had they?

He knew the metal was valuable, common sense told him as much. It would be nigh impossible to wrench his fingers from their metal coffin unless they were reunited with his hand. Gerhardt reached down to his boot, instinctually withdrawing his dagger with his left hand. He gazed over it, feeling a familiarity with its craftsmanship. He instantly cut off his two regrown digits, grunting slightly before grabbing the ones clad in metal and let his instincts guide him freezing the digits back to their hand. For good measure he rang his chime, feeling strange as he recalled some far-flung tale of a great hero healing fallen comrades on the battle. He waited a moment before sighing in relief as he felt the burning sensation of blood pooling back into the fingers he had lost. Grhardt didn't know why, but he just knew that would happen.

There was still the slightest gap in the armour, but he could fix that himself later. Or at least he thought he could.

Losing the armour entire would be disastrous; he knew that it was no ordinary armour, but what it was made of he couldn't remember or even guess. That is to say, he could make no more of it should it be lost.

"So, whom might you be?" asked Cinder, wandering towards the Knight who turned to face her.

Gerhardt stared at her momentarily. The strange whispering stopped instantly. He couldn't remember the name of where he was from. But he could remember his title. He felt warm as he said it.

"Gerhardt. Outrider Knight Gerhardt. Might I ask who you are?"

"Cinder Fall." She smiled, and placed her hand on the Knight's cheek letting her newly completed maiden powers surge through her. The Maiden felt the burning heat caress Gerhardt's face, but to her surprise rather than flinching she saw his posture relax. His skin glowed, crackling as if the blood were fire.

So, so interesting. The Queen would have to see him.

Gerhardt gently removed her hand, before speaking what his hazy thoughts told him was right "I owe you a life-debt, and as a Knight I must see it repaid."

The woman blinked as the Knight dropped to his knees, once again letting instinct guide him. He lifted his sword vaguely recalling a figure demanding the same of him. Gerhardt kept his eyes on the ground, showing his humility. Just as that shadowy figure had told him to so long ago.

Cinder mulled over the possibilities, looking at the Knight. Anyone who could so easily body Qrow and Goodwitch was worth keeping. He could easily become her third pawn, alongside Emerald and Mercury. That and Salem would not be happy were she to give up such an opportunity. Cinder knew there was more to this individual than there seemed to be. He seemed like the Revenant.

Decidedly not of this world.

There was also the matter of that elder creature, while Cinder had been ordered to let it be her Queen had at the very least made it apparent that the Revenant's continued existence would become problematic. Nipping the problem in the bud now would garner her much favour with Salem, far more than Watts, Hazel and Tyrian. Cinder had long wished to ascend to the position of Salem's right hand; perhaps this Gerhardt could push her there?

"So you would serve me then?" asked Cinder smiling slightly.

Gerhardt's answer was reflexive.

"Without question."

Cinder's soft smile broke into a grin "There is a creature in the city, they call it the Revenant. Clad in-"

"Bone-like armour, a skull for a mask and wearing crow feathers as its hood," said Gerhardt, interrupting Cinder to her chagrin, "I recognise the being, but I can't say why. However I know it is no creature; the Revenant is more human than any of us."

Such words again were reflexive, and the word 'Revenant' tasted rotten on his lips as if he knew it was not the real title of the being. What was it then?

The wording of Gerhardt's sentence intrigued her, but his knowledge of the Revenant piqued her interest further still. If he knew of it, and knew what it was then it seemed obvious that he knew how to kill it.

"Would you kill it for me then?" asked Cinder turning her back on him to look to the end of the room, relishing in the fact that she knew what his response would be.

Once again Gerhardt answered as he had been conditioned to.

"I shall bring you its head on a platter."

* * *

 

Velvet had to say, today was not really that great a day.

That was an understatement, on one-hand she relished in being with her Team, being an actual second-year huntress. She had missed them far more than anything in the world. They were the first ones to accept her for what she was, and she loved them as family for it. However she wished they were on a less dangerous mission.

A Beowolf roared towards her, its razor-sharp teeth making for her throat. Velvet ducked under letting her foot catch the side of the beast's face. She then brought her foot down on its neck snapping it. Today was really not a good day.

Yatsuhashi cleaved straight through an Ursa, before grabbing a Beowolf and snapping it in two over his back. The Mistralian had always been strong, but Velvet could see he was giving it all now. Fox cleaved through his obstacles slicing the arms, legs, and throats of the Grimm foolish enough to get in his way. His tonfa blades were sharp, sharper than anything.

Coco was laughing, not insanely or anything like that. But a laugh half out of fear and half out of excitement. Her chain-gun tore through the legion of Grimm; she had called in her locker for her regular high-calibre ammunition. Beowolves' heads exploded while the Ursas became a fine red mist as the rounds tore through them. Velvet took a quick picture again, just in case she needed more than one instance of Coco's weapon.

The Faunus had long enjoyed photography; the still beauty of the world had always made her happy. The wind serenaded her when she had lived in her village just outside Vale, when she had first heard of the Revenant's attacks she had feared that perhaps her own would be next. Thankfully the news never came, and the occasional call home was always met with warm loving words.

But Vale was home now, and to see it torn apart was beyond horrifying. Bodies lay across the street, and the worst think was they all seemed to share the same horrid fate. Drained of everything, left a barren husk, and then dumped at the side for the Grimm to savage and eat. Men, women, children. It didn't matter.

Grimm didn't discriminate, and the Revenant followed the same policy.

She almost laughed, if only they did. She would very much like for Faunus to be safe from the Grimm. Wouldn't that be grand? Her day-dreaming thoughts abated her skill in fighting none, she just flowed. It was one of her talents, Coco had always said that.

"Alright Velvet," called Coco, lugging her chain-gun as she walked up beside her friend, "fight's over. Where do we go next?"

Coco was leader, and she knew Vale well. But Velvet wasn't exaggerating when she said she knew Vale like the back of her hand, the myriad of photos lining her room proved as much.

The Atlesian soldiers were picking easily defendable areas, and none better fit that bill than the Grand Fountain. It had once bore the name of the King, but no longer. The age of Kings has long past, Vale was still a Kingdom though. Velvet still didn't quite understand that, but the case was exactly the same with the other three nations. Maybe tradition?

She was getting side-tracked. The Grand Fountain only had two routes into it, a massive row of steps lay behind but the Grimm had to go through the Fountain to get to them. There were no real roads, it was a pedestrian zone. If the Atlesian Military wanted to funnel the Grimm into a killing field, the Grand Fountain was the place to do it.

Velvet looked at the street before nodding slowly "Next left, we take the next left then go straight ahead. We'll reach the Fountain."

"Best news I've heard all day," said Coco, grinning slightly, "maybe they'll have a Bullhead. We could use it to get back to Team RWBY."

"Somehow I doubt that," said Fox ripping his tonfas from the neck of a Beowolf, "it seems like every Bullhead is in the sky right now. You really think they'll let us use valuable Atlesian Military equipment?"

Coco frowned "So what do you wanna do Fox? Leave them to die huh?"

"I never said that!"

Velvet felt her ears droop as the two began to argue, Fox and Coco liked each other. As in really did. Anyone could see that, but they differed heavily in their view of things. Coco was a bit of an optimist, and Fox a pessimist. While Coco was leader, she struggled to reign in CFVY at times. Yatsuhashi usually did, but even he seemed at a loss for what to say.

A growl stalled the argument instantly, and Velvet turned. She could hear the sound of… an Ursa? Was it an Ursa? It was fast for one. She quieted her team, straining her Faunus senses to listen. Whatever it was it was coming fast. The Grimm was coming towards them like a speeding train. Velvet pointed to the street behind them, and Coco pointed her chain-gun at it.

One way.

There was only one way the Grimm would reach them.

The footsteps stopped. A howl echoed, but then there was silence.

Coco scanned the street, looking for even the slightest hint of black. Yatsuhashi and Fox stood by her side, keeping her flanks secure. Velvet continued to strain her ears. She could hear breathing, far too soft to be heard by a human, but she heard it.

But where? Where was it coming from?

A brick fell to the ground and Velvet whipped around.

A massive Beowolf was clinging to the wall, and its red-eyes widened while its jaws ripped open. A blackish tar dripped from it.

It sprang, crushing Velvet between its jaws, and all hell broke loose.

"Not you again!" cried Coco spraying the area with her weapon watching the Beowolf dodge her attacks with ease.

Yatsuhashi and Fox moved in together, pushing the creature to the ground. Yatsuhashi remembered how he had dealt with it last time, and jammed his great-sword into the creature's snout while using his herculean strength to wrench its jaws open. Fox pulled Coco out, who was bleeding bad but seemed able to move. Her aura began to mend her wounds.

Fox jammed his tonfa blades into the Beowolf's eyes, but with a primal roar it shook both him and Yatsuhashi off it. Its paw wrapped around the hilt of the sword, before throwing it to the side and rushing at Yatsuhashi. A purple haze wrapped around it, before it disappeared.

The Mistralian slammed into a building beside him, Fox moved to strike the Beowolf but it appeared behind him and whipped him into the same building as well. Velvet blinked as she tried to follow it. Was it turning invisible? Her eyes followed it. And the Beowolf followed her.

Velvet readied her camera, preparing Ember Celica, those gauntlets that Yang had been so fond of. Once the mimicry formed around her hands, she watched as the Beowolf disappeared. Velvet could barely see it, but she could hear it.

And hearing was all she needed.

She swung the gauntlets behind her and blasted the Beowolf in its open mouth. It roared in pain zipping backwards and circling her slightly. As it prepared to move again a torrent of hellfire courtesy of Coco's chain-gun pelted into its side. The Beowolf cried out before disappearing again, Velvet saw it at the end of the street staring at them warily. She could barely see its haze as it moved. That told her one thing.

"Guys, it isn't disappearing. It's just that fast!"

"Lovely," called Fox, helping Yatsuhashi out of the crater he'd left in the building, "how the hell do we hit it!"

Crescent Rose appeared in Velvet's hands, and she anchored it. Coco nodded approvingly muttering that it was 'as good a time as any'. The Faunus narrowed her eyes as she trained on the Beowolf.

"You guys need to trust me, I can't see it. But I can hear it, if you listen to what I am saying you can hit it. Coco shoot where I tell you, okay?"

Coco smiled "Got it Vel. Alright Yatsu, Fox get up there."

The two nodded slowly. They moved up, the Beowolf still growling at them. Were it a freshly born Beowolf it would have attacked by now. Elder Grimm thought, and there was no denying that this Beowolf was smarter than any Alpha they had ever seen. They had a plan, but it was possible it had one too.

The Beowolf charged.

"Coco straight ahead! Yatsu left! Fox right!"

The Beowolf dodged the shots from Coco, and to Velvet's surprise it seemed to have called their gambit. Rather than dodging into the waiting blades on both sides of the street it jumped over Fox, landing on the side of the row of buildings flanking the street. It didn't stop, rushing down towards Velvet and Coco, all while running on the wall.

Coco fired on it, but her bullets fell constantly a single hair short. She switched, shooting ahead of the beast but it reacted by merely jumping to the other side of the street running along the wall there instead. The game continued as the Beowolf continued to make its way while leaping between both sides of the street. As it came closer Coco once again caused it to jump, but this time Velvet was ready. She fired her mimicry of Crescent Rose, the holographic rounds becoming material. They crashed open the house as the Beowolf landed on it. It felt into the ruin and Velvet sighed in relief.

"Yatsu, Fox get up here. I don't think it's down!" cried Coco waving at them.

Velvet knew she was right.

A violet beam split through the house, and Velvet barely dodged. It pummelled straight through the next house. The laser then began to wreathe through the air covering a one hundred eighty degree arc around it. Everyone fell prone to the ground, letting the beam pass over them.

It stopped, and Velvet blinked.

A massive silhouette crashed out of the house, but it was no Beowolf. It looked like a ghost, with two white eyes and hands reaching towards Yatsuhashi. She tried to scream but it grabbed him. He cried out in pain and fell back to the ground his skin badly burned, as if it were melting. Fox got up and withdrew his flask trying to pour water over his friend's skin while speaking to him hurriedly trying to stop the burning. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it.

The Beowolf stalked out, letting out dark fog as breath. Velvet saw it corrode the area around it, and she swore it looked almost smug. Its red eyes gazed at her and Coco, and the clicking sound coming from Coco's weapon was anything but assuring. Velvet looked at the corroded support of the house. It could be worth a shot.

She materialised one last weapon, a longsword. She remembered how her dead partner had used it, but she did not feel like it was worth trying to engage the Beowolf in close range. But the 'Ice-Stake' he had used from the sword? That was useful.

A holographic mimicry struck above the Beowolf, slow enough that it cocked its head in confusion. That blow had been nowhere close.

The groaning of wood interrupted its thoughts. The Darkwraith's favoured pet looked up.

And the house fell upon it, crushing it under a tonnes of wood, brick and mortar. It felt its body rapidly repairing itself, but it could not move. The Beowolf's were lungs crushed so it could not even howl for help. Its baleful red-eyes gazed at the woman who had done this to it. She walked forward with the longsword, before jamming it into its eye killing it once again.

"Good job Velvet," called Coco reloading her weapon.

Despite his burns Yatsuhashi climbed to his feet, his Aura mending the worst of it. Nevertheless, it would likely scar. Fox let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Being blind and barely able to hear the creature he was fighting was an experience he never ever wanted to go through again.

"So that collapse trapped it?" called Fox, unable to confirm it for himself.

Coco nodded "Yeah, Weiss and I fought it before and so did you two. We all know that thing just gets back up after a while, but this time it won't be going anywhere. It's stuck there good."

"Let's keep moving; the Grand Fountain is just around the bend." Velvet started walking and the Team followed. She gasped at what she saw however as she turned the bend.

Shattered Paladins and broken Knights lay littered across the plaza surrounding the fountain. Blood seeped from wrenched open cockpits. Parts of Atlesian soldiers partially consumed lay across the ground. Velvet nearly screamed as she stepped on a ravaged hand. A massive piece blackened and burned fabric jostled slightly in the wind whilst lying on the ground, but blood pooled from under it regardless. Velvet guessed it must have been a death shroud of some description.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Fox.

Yatsuhashi shook his head "Perhaps in this instance it is better that you cannot see my friend."

Coco sighed, before perking up. An Atlesian soldier was crawling towards them leaking blood. "Movement, everyone get up there. He needs help."

Velvet dropped beside the bleeding man, gagging as she saw how savaged his back had been. Massive chunks had been ripped out of it and eaten obviously. One of his legs had been torn off as well. His visor was still on, but Velvet pulled it off to look at him.

"Who did this to you?" asked Velvet nursing the man's head in her lap.

Blood spilled from his lips across her; he coughed but looked up barely. "Help us. Please."

At the corner of her eye she saw the blackened fabric begin to move and rise.

"The Knight's come to eat us, to eat us whole."

Velvet felt the man go limp, but her eyes weren't on him. She saw the blackened fabric straighten out, revealing another consumed Atlesian soldier beneath it as well as two armoured legs. Velvet realised what it was.

A cape.

A bloodied face, dripping with gore looked up at her with familiar ashen red hair and piercing blue eyes. He drew a familiar longsword, albeit blackened. Flame jutted from his skin, while a black mist poured from him.

Velvet blinked.

"Gerhardt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, weekly update as promised. Not much to say, there is about a chapter or two left until this arc closes. I hope to keep it interesting, but I would warn that Gerhardt is now going to be a lot more vicious in how he does things because he is relying totally on instinct. Might have to bump it up to mature at some point, nothing sexual of course but graphic anyways.
> 
> But never-mind that, not much else to say than I hope to see you all next week. As always I'm always glad to hear from any of you so feel free. Stay safe everyone.


	15. Chapter 15

"This can't be happening," murmured Ruby, as she saw Pyrrha trying desperately to resuscitate Jaune, weeping over his bloodied body. Her first friend's eyes were glassy and still, but she refused to believe him dead. He couldn't be.

"Ruby."

She couldn't even tell who that was. Yang? Weiss? Blake? Nora? Ren? Pyrrha? Jaune, oh how she hoped it was Jaune.

"Ruby! Snap out of it now."

Her eyes met a fiery crimson, before they calmed into a softer lilac colour. Ruby collapsed into her sister's arms. She wanted to cry, but she was far too tired.

"It's alright Rubes, we are going to get through this," whispered Yang, running a hand through her little sister's hair, "I promise. Just keep your head in the game."

Ruby turned to see Weiss kneel beside her, she felt Weiss squeeze her hand before smiling slightly. It wasn't bitter, but strained. Ruby hated to be called naïve, she was a bit socially awkward but she could read people.

Her own smile made a forced appearance "So Weiss I hate to be a burden, but you have any idea where we should go?"

"Grand fountain," said Weiss softly, "I spoke with Ren, he thinks he will be able to get Pyrrha and Nora moving if we give him another five minutes."

"What about Jaune?" asked Ruby looking down at her lap as she heard Weiss' unnatural silence. After a moment she got her answer.

"We're going to have to leave him."

Ruby's eyes exploded in shock as she whipped her head to look at her partner "What are you saying? We can't leave him! We're taking Blake, and we're taking him! We just need someone to carry him that's all. Nora, Ren, Pyrrha or even me. We all could take turns if we have to. Once we get him to a doctor he'll be fine!"

"Ruby, look at me," said Weiss sorrow clear in her voice but a sternness still apparent underneath the layers. She put her hands on Ruby's shoulders "Jaune is dead. That thing pierced his heart; there is no way he could have survived that. What Pyrrha is doing right now, it's understandable but she is accomplishing nothing. Unless we want to join him we have to move."

"But-"

"But nothing, my decision is final. You may be RWBY's leader, but right now you are not in the right state of mind to be deciding what to do. I am going to get us through this." Weiss looked at Yang "You'll help me, won't you?"

Yang nodded wearily "Weiss, you get us out of this and I swear I will never tease you again."

A smile.

"I'll hold you to it."

Ruby looked over to Ren who was kneeling beside Pyrrha whispering to her softly. She pushed him away ferociously, still trying to get Jaune to move. Ren didn't seem to care about what she had done, getting up again and once again speaking with her. Another push came, but this one was softer barely moving him. Ren's hand fell on her shoulder, and after what felt like minutes of silence Pyrrha nodded. She got up, her eyes stained with tears and walked away.

Ruby finally got a look at Jaune, and any hope of him being alive truly was shattered. His chest lay still, his glassy eyes lay staring at the stormy clouds while his blood washed away in the downpour from the heavens. The only thing lively about him was a content look on his face, not so much a smile but something; maybe he had seen Pyrrha before he died? Perhaps his death was not instant, and they got to speak? Ruby didn't know, but she decided that would be her truth.

Blake murmured, and groaned barely opening her eyes. Ruby saw the slice in her side, just above her waist. The Revenant's work. It wasn't a nick; the sword had nearly torn Blake's insides out the moment it had appeared in the Breach. Weiss had managed to sew it up, long enough for Aura to keep it together, but Blake had remained out of it since then. Ruby hoped it wouldn't become infected, because everything she was seeing on Blake was clear signs of total Aura exhaustion. Blake had to hang on.

Ruby didn't want to lose another friend today.

As they trudged towards the Grand Fountain Ruby found herself surprised by how peaceful it all was. There was death and destruction as far as the eye could see yes, but everything was calm at the moment. Faint screams from Grimm and bangs from guns could be heard, but they lay firmly in the distance and even they were dying down. Was it wrapping up? Was the Breach ending? She hoped so.

"Damn, everyone look at this!" called Yang kneeling beside the wreckage of a destroyed building. Ruby could hear a vague snapping sound and strained noises, like howls and roars cut short. She came to her sister's side, searching amongst the debris, and saw red-eyes glaring back at her. A savage snout snapped with all the strength it had. A massive Beowolf tried desperately to free itself.

"Is that the one from Mountain Glenn?" asked Ruby.

Yang nodded "Yep seems to be. Weiss what about you? It look familiar to you?"

"Yes," answered Weiss, before looking at the sky in thought, "I wonder who did this to it though. It might be circumstance sure, but as far as we know this Beowolf does not die. Did someone figure that out and trap it?"

Weiss' eyes opened and she nodded to herself "CFVY would know, maybe they encountered it? That means they are on their way to Grand Fountain. But why?"

"Isn't Grand Fountain like guarded by stairs? You can only get up to that part of Vale by going through the Fountain, maybe the military was holding there? To stop the Grimm?" said Nora, her tone was sullen as if the cheer had been sucked straight from it.

Team RWBY, sans Blake who had once again fallen into unconsciousness, nodded in agreement. The fountain was just around the corner. Tantalisingly close, they finally had somewhere to go. To get out of this nightmare. Ruby just wanted to burst into roses and get there, but her ears perked up slightly. A quick look confirmed everyone, even Pyrrha, had heard that. Two sounds; a feral scream that sounded hauntingly human, and more worryingly the beating of wings.

The Beowolf's eyes shot to the sky. Ruby's followed as she saw a black mass flying towards them.

"Oh come on!" cried Yang, "really? Are you being serious right now?"

The Nevermore screeched as it dove lower, slamming into the rooftop of a house just before them. The building groaned, but finally settled under the Grimm's massive weight. The bird's eyes watched them with a mixture of worry and interest, deceptively intelligent for a Grimm. The wind and rain rolled of it, alongside a strong purple mist. Ruby could see the tell-tale signs of battle all over the bird's hide; burns, shrapnel and dust crystals still lodged in its feathers. Even bits of its flesh were missing.

The Nevermore gazed at its brother Grimm caught under the house, before screeching, as it maw opened it filled with a terrible purple light. Ruby squinted before bursting into roses as the beam that came forth obliterated where she had just been standing.

This was not the time. Ruby would have killed to be in a hunt like this a week ago, maybe even a couple of hours ago. But right now?

This was not the time.

"Ruby take shots at it keep the Nevermore preoccupied!" called Weiss," Yang, Nora start crushing the supports of every house here, do it fast! Ren, Pyrrha you have to keep up close with it. Can you do that?"

Stern nods were received from all, and Ruby began to think even as she took her shots that perhaps Weiss had been right all along. Maybe she wasn't fit to lead a team. The moment something bad had happened she had shut down, and yet Weiss was leading them through a nightmare.

Crescent Rose trembled as Ruby pulled the trigger. The Grimm was anything but easy to hit, for a Nevermore this one was remarkably agile. Its speed was even more impressive considering that it was keeping low to the ground to keep an eye on the Beowolf. Pyrrha and Ren were running up and down the street while Yang and Nora were steadily working on demolishing every house. It would be almost comical, were it not for that beam of dark energy that came down from time to time.

Seeing concrete just cease to be scared her.

Ruby saw another house come down. The Nevermore seemed to be stupid as far as she could tell; it just kept hopping from house to house. There was no strategy or reason for what it did beyond the immediate desire for it to kill the two teams and save its brother Grimm. But Weiss was closing the net far more quickly than even Ruby could keep up with.

The Nevermore curved over her head as it swirled to land on the final building intent on attacking again.

"Ruby! Now! Shoot its eyes!"

Ruby obeyed Weiss' order, taking a shot which rang true straight into the bird's left eye. They were huge targets, larger than her head almost, but on a creature that impossibly fast it still proved a challenge. The Grimm cried out, landing and shifting to look at its attack with the sole remaining eye it had.

"Stupid bird," muttered Ruby, before pulling the trigger of Crescent Rose breathing in as she felt the vibration of the weapon and the scream of the Nevermore. A quick look at her handiwork confirmed that she had taken out its other eye.

Ruby always liked to be a bit modest, but she was the second best shot she knew; the best marksman was always Uncle Qrow but he like to get 'up-close and personal'.

Her mom had been even better, but Ruby had never got to see her in action.

A dull pain shot through her, but the dullness gave way to a sharp feeling as she saw the house collapse under the Nevermore. The Grimm was pounced on by the combined forces of Yang, Ren, Nora and Pyrrha. Weiss began firing ice-dust at it to freeze the massive avian in its tracks.

In its blindness the Grimm thrashed, and so too did its dark energy coursing within its veins. Another one of its massive beams strafed the area aimlessly in a desperate and final attempt to strike at anyone or anything that was around it.

The brilliant light cut just before Crescent Rose. Ruby instinctively curled her weapon up, bringer her baby closer to avoid it being destroyed. The Nevermore was silenced as Yang punched straight through its head, while her eyes burned a fiery red. The group worked quickly, as they picked up rubble and debris piling it onto the Nevermore which was already twitching as purple light mended its wounds. The gloom that covered it dripped onto the ground corroding it, and Ruby winced as she saw Ren silently grimace when some of it burned his hand.

"Alright Rubes, let's move," called Yang walking over shaking the dust from herself and patting her sister on the back. She noticed Ruby's fixture on the Nevermore and turned to see. An act soon echoed by everyone else.

A great purple light spat into the sky, before blossoming into a great dark cloud. There was silence, but then Ruby heard that unmistakable rasp. Something far from and yet close to human.

The Revenant.

"Yang we have to go," called Ruby pulling on Ember Celica to move her sister, "we can't take it on."

Weiss nodded "Ruby's right, if we stay here we will die. Guaranteed. We have to get to that fountain and out of here, and then maybe we will find some Huntsmen or Huntresses who know what to do."

Yang scooped up Blake once again. RWBY and what remained of JNPR moved around the bend. Ruby went first using her semblance to get there as soon as possible to get help, but she stopped as the familiar white of Atlesian soldiers came into view.

And the blood that covered it all.

Bits and pieces of people lay scattered across in the garden of rubble and metal. Gore shone through the metallic coffins of the Atlesian Paladins, while the Knight's lay crushed beside partially consumed soldiers. Her eyes vaguely fell on a torn apart soldier, and she saw the imprint of the blood of knees as if something had knelt down before pressing its head down to eat. A black and tattered cloth blew from its seat on the fountain, but Ruby didn't give it much thought. Not when she saw them.

Her eyes watered as she half of CFVY.

Yatsuhashi lay on his back, his glassy eyes and exhausted expression fixed skyward. He had a massive wound in his chest, like he had been stabbed by a sword or something. Ruby spied a small wound on his neck, too small for a sword, maybe from a dagger? No air went into nor left his great chest. He was dead, just like Jaune. Just like everyone.

Fox was in a much worse state, and Ruby felt what little she had eaten threatening to come out and coat the ground. She had at first wondered how his lower body lay one way, but his upper body the other. A closer inspection revealed the truth, and Ruby wished she hadn't looked.

Fox had been cut clean in half, his blood seeped deep into the concrete ground like water to soil. A pained expression coated his face, and one of his milky white eyes had been gouged out. Her heart hurt more.

She'd killed Torchwick directly. She'd killed Jaune by not being stronger to fight the Remnant, and now she'd killed Fox and Yatsuhashi. She should have argued with Coco, told her they were going too. But she couldn't think. She just obeyed like a pet. And now her inaction had caused a reaction. The deaths of her friends were her fault, and the blood they spilled stained her hands.

Ruby vaguely heard gasps of horror from the two teams, but she drowned them out. Her knees buckled beneath her as she knelt beside the two men, dropping Crescent Rose to the ground. In the corner of her eye the tattered black cloth got up. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but she sat glued to the ground by indecision.

Metal footsteps echoed across the square surrounding the fountain, all too familiar to her. Ruby looked up, and obscured by the black hood she could see a metal jaw wreathed in shadow and familiarly piercing blue eyes hidden behind an eye-slit in the mask of steel. The blackened sword drew her attention, and Ruby could vaguely make out the familiar foreign scrawling on it.

"Gerhardt."

The hood drew back and Ruby saw his helmet, blackened and warped by the explosion he had created, and she even saw the uneven bit of metal around his throat where he had stabbed through to end his own life. Fresh blood dripped from his armour, but it was not his; dried gore lay scattered across the plate armour. The sheer amount splashed across his collar leading to up to his neck frightened her, but the blood across the armoured knee-pad confirmed her fears. She felt her food trying to come up, but there was little there.

"Come to kill me have you?" asked Gerhardt, his hand grasping the hilt of his sword. The blackened and warped blade still shone unnaturally, but now it seemed impure and stained. "I think like them you will find I am quite resilient."

"You're supposed to be dead," muttered Ruby holding out her hand to grasp onto his cloak.

The Knight cocked his head in confusion, before kneeling down beside her "You know me?"

"Of course I do, don't you remember me?"

She could feel his gaze and saw from the slits of his helmet his blue eyes scanning over her. A small growl escaped him as he shook his head. The metal gauntlets wrapped around her neck and Ruby found herself being lifted into the air strangled all the way.

"You will tell me who you are, and tell me who I am. In return, I won't spill your guts right here and now like I did with those two."

That was the confirmation she needed, this thing was not Gerhardt. He was brash, cold, and quick to anger but never ever cruel. He was loyal to those he considered friends. He had become one of her best friends despite the short time she had known him. This was not her friend, this was a monster clad in her friend's flesh. She would not allow it.

Gerhardt blinked as he felt his grip on the girl's clothes loosen, before noticing that she was not there. He heard her, but the slam came anyways sending him to the ground in a heap. She brought down her weapon again, slamming the sycthe his metal helmet like a pickaxe on rock. He felt his ears ring from the vibration.

Ruby saw the rest of the two teams approaching the fountain, she could only help they would win together. But deep down she remembered how they had first met Gerhardt, and the fact that he had demolished them then. She wasn't sure if she had improved enough to put up a fight now. But damn it she had to try! She couldn't let him kill anyone else. She owed it too herself, she owed it to Yatsuhashi and Fox and she owed it to whatever remained of the friend she had lost in Gerhardt.

The Knight climbed to his feet and ran forward lifting his longsword over his head and slamming it just where she had been caving the concrete pavement in. Ruby moved to punish his mistake bringing Crescent Rose to slice into his side, but Gerhardt tore the sword from the ground slashing sideways to defend his flank. Ruby gasped as the sword just missed her skin, instead tearing into her outfit. The Knight's hand reached forward but she dodged pulling back.

"Ruby what the hell is going on? Who is that?" shouted Yang as she drew closer, but once she reached her sister she was able to get a better look. Her head shook in disbelief "That can't be. He's dead."

The Knight roared in anger and charged forward to them.

Weiss propped Blake against a wall, having her Faunus friend dumped into her hands by Yang when she ran to help her sister. Pyrrha, Ren and Nora ran forward to help. Weiss couldn't help but notice the hopeful look in Pyrrha's eyes as the she charged forward, Miló and Akoúo̱ in hand.

What was that for?

Weiss readied Myrtenaster, loading yellow dust rounds. Ruby was fighting someone, but from the look of his black cape and burnt visage he was likely not going to be particularly weak to fire. She still favoured blue-dust, but was running low so electricity would have to do. She charged forward.

Ruby pelted Gerhardt with dust rounds as he went toe-to-toe with Yang in close combat. Her sister's hair had long since ignited and an inferno burned from her, but Gerhardt met every strike and blow in kind. Kicking and punching as well as making rudimentary slashes. Nora, Ren and Pyrrha kept him from doing anything too vicious as they applied pressure with slices, slams and stabs to his left and right. He was still fighting on, and staying strong but Ruby couldn't help but notice how 'sloppy' he was compared to how she remembered.

The way Gerhardt used his sword now was crude; it lacked finesse. He only slashed wildly, not once had he thrusted or parried anything that Yang, Nora or Ren had done. Things she knew Gerhardt always did, but there were other differences as well. Perhaps Gerhardt had been holding back in spars with her, Jaune and Pyrrha and even their first fight but it seemed now that despite his crudeness he was packing far more of a punch than ever before. His missed kicks shattered concrete while his sword screamed through the air making a horrible piercing sound as if it were fast enough to break the sound barrier itself.

But Gerhardt himself had taught her that there was no point to strength if one could not hit the opponent, and he was struggling severely. Yang punched him with Ember Celica, Nora crushed him with Magnhild and Ren peppered and sliced at him with StormFlower and he could barely respond in kind. Pyrrha and Miló went right through him constantly in his weaker areas. He nicked at them, or caught their clothing but he struggled to hit them. The grunts as he swung his sword sounded more and more laboured and he had even bounded backwards to breathe for a while, things Gerhardt had never done before his fight with Uncle Qrow. Things she had been told he hadn't even done in his fight with Uncle Qrow.

Was he still injured from then? It seemed a possibility to her.

Gerhardt leapt forward tumbling through the air, as his cape obscured him, to slam his sword down upon Nora. But Ruby shot, hitting her target and watching as a dust round went straight through one of the joint of his legs where the armour was weaker. The forced sent Gerhardt sailing to the side where he crashed into the Fountain crumbling through it. Ruby's eyes focused on two bodies in there, and she gasped.

Coco and Velvet.

She exploded into roses once more, and to her eternal relief she saw Velvet's eyes focus on her while Coco was breathing weakly. Both lay in a bed of corpses with the remains of half a dozen Atlesian soldiers. They were alive but covered in wounds; a particularly nasty gash had pierced through Coco looking as if it originated from the back. Velvet was layered in wounds and bleeding from the mouth but her hand still reached towards Ruby which gave her hope. She struggled as her Aura empowered her grabbing the two, she heard Gerhardt snarl as she lifted the two out of the fountain rushing over to where Blake was lying.

Gerhardt stepped out of the fountain breathing heavily and nearly doubling over. He needed more power; he felt a burning inside him, a cold wetness, and even a savage anger and rage frothing to get out. Each called on him, but he was uncertain. He looked at his fingers, seeing in the small gap where his armour had been cut a strong glow.

The fire that Cinder had bequeathed him.

Yang blinked as Gerhardt started to groan as if in horrible pain, hunching over onto his sword for support. His body shook as if it were falling apart. Her eyes widened in realisation.

"He's gonna blow!"

Everyone ducked for cover as a massive firestorm exploded from the Knight incinerating the area around him in a blaze. The concrete around his feet melted, while the bodies of the soldiers became charred ash. Yang looked at Gerhardt, and saw what seemed like a counterpart to her semblance.

She had often said that Gerhardt looked like he was on fire when he used his semblance or whatever he had but this literally was what was happening. His armour and cloak were wreathed in a dark orange flame while his sword glowed with the fire he commanded. The flames stretched out around him, creating an Aura of fire around his body. His blue eyes faded to the point where they could no longer be seen as he stared at them. Fire actually licked from the inside of the eye-slit.

His armoured fingers reached downwards melting the concrete as they searched the ground before falling on an Atlesian rifle, strangely it did not melt instead falling into Gerhardt's hands comfortably. The Knight experimentally pulled the trigger watching as the shots hit the area around them, one even struck Yang but her Aura stopped it dead. Gerhardt nodded slowly and took hold of the belt that was to be strapped to the back and instead wrapped it around his leg. The slit of his helmet focused on Yang.

"One last chance. Walk away, now!" shouted Gerhardt, his gravelly voice echoing across the square, "If not I shall sear the flesh from your bones!"

Pyrrha, Ren and Nora stood firm. Weiss came alongside her and Ruby as well. They would not give up. Gerhardt shook his head and sighed softly before looking at her again.

Flame jettisoned from him and Yang blinked in disbelief as he took flight reaching into the air before swerving as his burning cape spread like the wings of some majestic bird. It then curled around him as he became a living spear of fire screaming towards Yang with his longsword.

She couldn't dodge in time completely, but she did miss the worst of it. Her wound instantly cauterised as the sword ignored her Aura ripping into her side, nothing vital but she still wasn't free. Yang felt herself being lifted skyward on the sword, Gerhardt grunted before flinging her from the sword and straight into a shop overlooking the fountain. She crashed straight through the glass and wood her Aura shielding her but it wasn't over.

Gerhardt's flaming sword lifted up, and a burst of fire went towards her like seething chaos as it angrily tore at everything along the way. Yang swore under her breath before ducking behind cover under the shop counter.

A massive explosion tore the shop as an inferno ripped and burned away at the building. Ruby screamed as she rushed to get Yang, while Gerhardt turned to his four remaining opponents.

Nora struck first crying out as she slammed Magnhild against Gerhardt. He grunted in pain and blood spilled from the small holes in his mask where Nora guessed he breathed from. But he did not stop. His sword smashed into her, and Nora found herself thrown to the side. Ren and Pyrrha tried to give her time to recover but Gerhardt was too fast and too wary against such an action. He ran forward his burning left hand grabbing her, Nora screamed as she felt her arm searing before she was given the same treatment as Yang and swiftly removed from the battlefield by being thrown.

Weiss prepared Myrtenaster for a strike, pouring her Aura into offense instead of defence. As her Aura drained away from the shield that it provided her she noticed that despite having Ren and Nora between him, the Knight was staring straight at her. His left hand whipped to the Atlesian rifle, and Weiss coughed out blood as the dust rounds tore through her stomach. How did he?

Weiss fell to the ground, her Aura already repairing the wounds. She began to take out the physical parts of the rounds to help her. She realised what he was doing. That wasn't a haphazard attempt at killing her; he'd read what she was going to do and taken her out of the fight.

How could he know?

Ren sliced at Gerhardt, silently brimming with anger. Gerhardt had hurt two of his friends, that was something Ren would struggle to forgive. But to wound Nora? That was unforgivable. He had never really known the Knight that well, but he would be damned before forgiving him. His leader and one of his best friends had died today. Nora would not be dying today; no one else would be dying today. Ren did something wreathed himself in his semblance killing any negative emotions of anger so he could focus. StormFlower were a pair of submachine guns so accuracy wasn't really their speciality but he knew he could make this shot.

"Pyrrha spear his leg!" shouted Ren, and he jumped into the air above the Knight who was focused on him.

Pyrrha did as she was told, forcing all of her Aura into her strength. She noticed the Knight whipping the rifle to her but Miló went forward far faster, straight through Gerhardt's ankle. The crunching of bone and the pained moan of the Knight were drowned out by StormFlower opening up and spraying at the slits of the Knight. Most of the dust rounds deflected harmlessly off of the steel helm but not all. A dozen crawled between the slits and bit at Gerhardt's eyes.

Ren admired his handiwork as the Knight dropped his sword and rifle, blood spewed from the slit of his helmet. Ren raised StormFlower to slice Gerhardt's throat and end it there, but to his surprise Akoúo̱ pushed his weapons up and away from the Knight who was hissing in pain as he feebly tried to stop the blood spilling out of his eyes.

He turned to Pyrrha, his semblance suppressing his emotions but some anger still spilled through "Why Pyrrha? He tried to kill Ruby, Yang and Nora. He seems to have killed everyone here, why should we not deal with him?"

"Today has been a long day, a hard day. I don't want any more people I know to die, even him. Gerhardt was a friend to me and Jaune, and he is the only one that can save him," said Pyrrha kneeling beside the blinded Knight, whose fire ate at her hands as she powered through to remove his helmet. Her hands burned, but the Aura still coursed through to repair the damage.

"Save? Pyrrha we have been through this. Jaune is dead; there is nothing we can do to help him."

The helmet fell to the floor, and the bleeding eyes searched aimlessly around the Fountain. Ruby got Yang out of the building, who was remarkably uninjured by the explosion although still injured from the stab. Weiss tended to Nora trying to perform some rudimentary first-aid with the burns with some cyan dust that her ice normally came from, all the while addressing her own wounds. All took a look, and confirmed it was indeed the Knight back from the dead

"Help you?" said Gerhardt slowly, and Ren noticed that while the Knight's eyes bled still he was staring directly at him. He got to his feet to stare at Ren before looking to Pyrrha "How could I help you? Why would I help you?"

Pyrrha's green eyes softened "You don't remember me? You don't remember Ruby, or Jaune?"

"All I hear is constant talk of what I should be, my name uttered by people I have never seen much less heard! Being told I should be dead, and then attacked to ensure as such! Who are you people and what do you wish of me?" The Knight reached forward grabbing Pyrrha by her metal collar and pulling her forward.

Ren readied StormFlower but Pyrrha waved him down.

"We used to be friends Gerhardt," said Pyrrha softly, trying to calm the Knight whose fire was ebbing out quietly, "Ruby and Jaune too. You were friends with Velvet, Coco, Yatsuhashi and Fox as well."

The Knight's empty eyes squinted in confusion before shaking his head. He grip on Pyrrha softened as he began to pat her shoulder. He smiled slightly "Pyrrha?"

The champion smiled "Yes. You remember us?"

"No."

The clawed gauntlet tore against her shoulder, goring her. She bit her tongue in pain as her blood spilled across Gerhardt's face. Ren hit the Knight across the face. The flame that had covered him had faded entire. Instead a murky frost emitted from him. The Knight covered his bloodied eyes and snarled. He dropped his hands, and Ren opened his mouth in shock.

They were there again, this time an unnatural white like ice.

Gerhardt dropped to all fours, his helmet clipped to his side as Ren had seen him do many a time during training days. The blackened longsword became covered in frost in a great contrast of fire and ice. The Knight bared his sharpened teeth, and Ren felt like a piece of meat being sized up.

Gerhardt charged across the ground, hooking Ren's foot with his longsword. Ren heard muffled shouts, and bizarrely from the Knight whispers in a tongue he could not understand. However his head had been slammed by a metal hand, he couldn't make out what was being said. He felt the claw dig into his stomach before he was thrown.

Pyrrha refused to try diplomacy again, if she had to beat sense into him then she would. But injuries could not happen. Not only could Gerhardt kill her with one solid hit but his attack on her just moments prior convinced her of something she had always suspected. That he healed from causing injury to others. She had noticed in spars he always perked up when blood fell on him. Another quirk of his semblance?

However in but an instant her entire strategy was thrown out, Gerhardt simply phased towards in a burst of ice grabbing her and throwing her to the side with Ren. Instead of following up as the relentless Knight was fond of doing he instead stood shakily on two legs. His sword gleamed as it shifted into a much larger longsword foreign to what she remembered him typically using. The blackened metal seemed to take on a golden hint. To her surprise another sword lay in his hand, not nearly as large. A short sword similar to what Miló could become in size. The Knight readied his body like a dog itching to pounce.

Pyrrha heard metallic footsteps and a rasp of a blade across a gauntlet. Lightning struck the ground just steps from her and Ren. A hooded skull gazed at the Knight.

There was silence for what felt like eons, but Pyrrha noticed the Knight shift.

Gerhardt's warbled and icy voice broke the unnatural silence.

" _Revenant."_

And to her surpise she heard a response plain as day in a dialect of Mistral as the dark spirit wandered forward drawing its own blade in kind.

" **Outrider."**

Gerhardt straightened his back, covering his neck with the larger sword while the short sword straightened across his stomach. Pyrrha's eyes widened when a far cleaner fire than Gerhardt typically used covered the now golden sword wreathing in flames. She could feel the heat, even from here. But the smaller sword was what truly interested her. It became covered in a purple glow, as if it were possessed by the light of a Dark Moon. Finally to add to her surprise she saw frost cover his helm, as a small crown accented his forehead.

Pyrrha swore she saw the Revenant take a subtle step back, before it began to advance towards the Knight who uncharacteristically walked towards his opponent.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, as she heard the Revenant speak once more in a familiar tongue.

" **Manus guide me against this abomination of Sulyvahn."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, technically about fifteen or so minutes late for the whole Sunday thing but I hope you'll forgive me. Anyways next chapter is the encounter many of you may have been waiting for and I can't wait to show you it there will be a bit of dialogue but of course action so I hope to keep you interested Not much to say, more people have died but believe me I don't like to kill for shock value I promise you every name and establish character that has died did so for a purpose even if it is not clear. Anyways as I have said we are reaching the end of the arc, in fact next chapter should be quite long in comparison to the others a bit like Chapter 12. Next chapter will end this arc. I hope you are all enjoying reading this as much as I do writing it.
> 
> Stay safe everyone, I'll see you next Sunday unless something goes wrong.


	16. Chapter 16

Gerhardt's mind was clouded, but the whispers helped him somewhat. He knew not what fighting style he was emanating, but it tasted foreign to him and yet intimately familiar. The golden wreathed sword burned with a passionate fire that never died, something that he knew burned in himself. But the blue 'magic' that came from the smaller sword, it brought visions of the streets of a frigid city to his eyes. Gerhardt saw a fragile being, androgynous in appearance, sitting on a throne, giving orders to his 'blades'; he saw that shadowy figure that whispered to him hand up his blade and have it infused with that same colour that blessed it now.

The Revenant ran towards him, shaking the Outrider from his thoughts, and Gerhardt picked up his pace. He felt caution take hold of him, and he was letting it direct his cause. The Revenant drew closer forty feet, thirty feet, twenty feet and then finally ten.

Gerhardt struck, leaping forward and letting his larger blade strike the Revenant. The being was surprised at his burst of speed, and Gerhardt was too. He knew he was fast, but this? This was unrelenting, unfaltering, unwavering aggression.

It felt beautiful.

He began to dance, slicing left and right with the swords that he had materialised calling upon the instinct and memory of a fighter that made him as he was. Gerhardt saw his style, but the person's face and name did not grace him. That mattered not, for his strikes rang true and bold.

The Revenant tried to block the attack using the flat of the blade, and despite its superior size he found its strength wanting in the extreme for such a task. Gerhardt's blows struck the man, and the Outrider saw his wrists rattle with the force pounding into them. The Knight heard the slightest exhalation from the creature, before a strong kick pushed him backwards. The Revenant pulled back, winded but still mostly unharmed. A few cauterised cuts layered its chest, but otherwise the being was whole.

" **Yet another abomination fashioned from the hands of the wretched Tyrant of Irithyll."**

The Revenant looked up his mouth having never opened, but the words flowed still. Gerhardt wanted to ask what these words meant, but all he could hear were the demands of Cinder to kill the Revenant. Not to talk. To Kill.

Gerhardt lunged forward, in an exact imitation of his previous gap-closer against the Revenant, but this time the creature was ready. The golden sword came downwards, but at the last moment the creature smacked it upwards with its own black blade. Gerhardt lay stunned, before the creature stabbed him straight through one of the gaps in the armour. He fell to the ground in a heap of his own blood.

Parried. He had been parried.

The dark spirit marched forward raising its foot to crush the Outrider's head, but the smaller glowing short-sword stabbed through the wraith's boot spilling blood. Gerhardt licked his lips as the tiniest drops of the Revenant's blood fell onto him.

The taste was intoxicating.

A metal gauntlet grabbed the Revenant leg and Gerhardt tore him from his standing position to the ground before climbing atop the creature to pin it. He felt the crown dissipating from his head as his wounds healed. The whispers begged him to control himself; he opened his mouth to bite before stopping to listen, the crown of ice froze over further but the hesitation had proved detrimental. The Revenant pushed him off in a massive burst of strength sending the Knight a good five feet away from him flat on his metal back.

Gerhardt swore under his breath, as far as his memory was concerned he was fresh to battle. He had blanked-out three times today alone, and each time he had woken up in a pool of corpses with blood on his arms, legs, chest and even his teeth. He felt that hunger, and it worried him not just because of the disgusting nature of it, but also because it muddled the senses. He could not afford to be slave to instinct in a battle.

The Darkwraith sat up staring at the Knight with some interest. The hooded head nodded slowly in appreciation of his opponent's form.

" **Mine senses taste the nascent Dark in you, and yet it lies beneath the murk of the Deep and that wretched Profaned Flame. The Frost of Irithyll helps thou none either."**

The Revenant stood up tall and proud, his black blade beginning to glow with a dark energy that poured from him. He looked over his cauterised wounds with distaste, before drawing the dark sword over them to re-open them. His black blood spilled to the street glowing with power.

" **The Darkstalker had been insistent that the power was in the soul, but mine own findings have led me to find power in blood as well. Those fragments of thine own Dark Soul scream to be free; I wonder what power the blood of an Outrider possesses?"**

The Darkwraith jumped forward, landing in front of Gerhardt who had just stumbled to his feet. A small kick barely pushed Gerhardt back, but it did unsettle his balance. The Knight blinked as both of the dark spirit's hands went to his blade drawing it back before thrusting viciously into the Outrider's side straight through gap in the Irithyllian plate armour.

Gerhardt stumbled before falling over onto his back one more, but the Darkwraith was not finished instead jumping on top of the Knight pushing his blade downwards into Gerhardt's chest straight through the metal armour. The Outrider felt blood spill from his mouth, as the Wraith backed away observing his work. The clouds battered their drums of war overhead. The Darkwraith let out a breath slowly staring at the Huntresses and Huntsman watching helplessly to the side.

They were little better than sheep watching two wolves fight for the right to eat them whole. Not that they were edible to him, on account of their absent Dark Souls, but flesh was flesh to an Outrider. He had encountered his kind once before, and the taste was still a bitter one. However he was leagues more powerful than ever before.

The Darkwraith slid round to the side, punching the Outrider straight in his jaw. His opponent was bereft of his helm, having discarded to make use of his teeth and smell in combat. These were all things that the Darkwraith recalled of that Outrider Knight he had beaten eons ago. The Irithyllian blood spewed onto his armour, but he gave no pause grabbing the Outrider by his head and slamming it into the ruined fountain laughing as he heard the sickening crunch.

Gerhardt's attacker was relentless, smashing and tearing away at mortar and stone as he crumbled the Outrider's face. The Knight's roars and moans of pains became whimpers, but it was only when silence reined that the dark spirit ceased his assault. Gerhardt was tossed onto his back, and the Fallen Knight of New Londo bit at his neck with the Dark Sword he had wielded for time immemorial carving open the Irithyllian's flesh.

The Outrider feebly tried to push the blade back, but he could not. This, this was beyond strength. The Revenant just breathed combat and war. Every action impeccable, every feint, punch or kick thrown was perfectly timed and flawlessly delivered. Gerhardt couldn't brute force through him, for the Revenant was force incarnate. He couldn't flank, or dazzle him with speed for the Revenant radiated haste. He couldn't outsmart him, because the Revenant was intelligent beyond measure in how he fought.

He was like a pup fighting a wolf.

The blade dug into his throat, and as the sword drew closer to tearing his throat out Gerhardt felt the Revenant's hand bizarrely comfort him. Then the pain started. The Dark Hand glowed as it sucked the life and soul from the Outrider.

" **A true fighter earns mine respect, even a poor showing is better than nothing. Sleep well, and worry not. The Dark Soul welcomes all fragments."**

A whistling sound interrupted the Darkwraith who just barely dodged the javelin that soared past, feeling it tear a scrap of his hood away. He turned with anger, looking at the red-haired girl who balefully glared at him. The Darkwraith recognised her; she had tried to stop him killing her friend an hour ago didn't she.

" **Ah…is this what it has come to? Girl attack me and doom thyself! I can be killed by no normal human."**

A bullet tore through his shoulder and the Darkwraith grunted softly glaring at the red-hooded girl with the scythe. He had met many who wielded such a weapon on his mission, all had been fearsome. The Crossbreed Priscilla, the failed usurper of the flame Friede and even the holy fragment Nashandra. But they had long since faded to dust, and here he stood eternal.

Humanity incarnate.

With a wave of his hand the Darkwraith willed the power of the Abyss through him. Nature responded fashioning a prism around him of lightening just as he had forced on that boy that had foolishly stood against him. It would be poetic to force the girl who had tried so hard to save the boy to suffer the exact same fate. And the Red Hood? She would just be a bonus. Once he was finished with them he could drain the Outrider and continue on with the rest of this city.

Pyrrha saw the lightening, but steeled her heart. She would have revenge for Jaune even if it killed her to do it. Ruby was to her right, looking frightened by the prism they found themselves in but she calmed herself quickly. Pyrrha was proud, now it was time for all that training they had done to go to use.

"Ruby, stick with me alright?" said Pyrrha, calling Miló back towards her as she curled Akoúo̱ close to her chest preparing herself for both striking and blocking. She was the Champion of Mistral, and she would destroy the Revenant no matter what.

Ruby nodded, blossoming forward beside Pyrrha and readying Crescent Rose as Gerhardt had taught her. She had questions to ask the Outrider, but he sat bleeding on the ground incapable of moving. How was he still alive? What had happened to him? Why had Uncle Qrow attacked him? She had believed it was because he had heard that Gerhardt had tried to kill her, but with time she realised there was no way he could've known save that Gerhardt had told him. Something he would never have been dumb enough to do.

But those questions would have to wait. She had a monster to kill.

Pyrrha struck first, as Miló lunged forward to spear the Revenant. The creature responded by dodging around Pyrrha and instead of stabbing or slicing at her as it could well have done it instead struck her with the flat of the blade. A mocking gesture, a sign of power. Pyrrha did not take the bait and drew back, ducking as Crescent Rose swung over her and clipped the Revenant's cheek spilling its black ichor to the ground.

The creature leapt over Pyrrha landing beside Ruby, and with a mighty kick sent her sprawling to the ground. It jumped to spear her straight through the chest, but Pyrrha halted the move in its tracks throwing Akoúo̱ straight at its side grinning in satisfaction as she heard the crack from the bronze shield smashing into the Grimm. The Revenant looked back, before grabbing Ruby and tossing her at Pyrrha with an angered shout. As Pyrrha caught Ruby and put her down her vision was clear, and she saw the beast sprinting at her.

This time the Revenant made no mistake, gripping its sword in both hands to slice in an unorthodox but effective fashion even twirling its blade into an upwards slash that Akoúo̱ barely stopped. The burning dark that ripped asunder her shield told Pyrrha that blocking was ill-advised in the long run.

Ruby got up, and saw the Revenant's attack on her friend. She didn't waste time anchoring Crescent Rose, it was too loud and the Revenant was anything but unaware. Instead she put stock in her aim, and pure instinct. It was barely more than five or ten feet away. She could make the shot.

Crescent Rose roared. The dust round tore through the Revenant's left ankle as it rose its leg to kick Pyrrha once more, a screeching sound the likes of which Ruby had never heard came from the Revenant's mouth as it looked back. It was not particularly in pain; in fact the creature seemed insulted pointing its sword straight at her.

" **Filth."**

A kick shattered Ruby's jaw sending her into a heap. Her Aura burned as it tried to heal the wound, but the Revenant gave no reprieve. Its wicked right hand wrapped around Ruby's throat and she felt the life being choked out of her as she was lifted to look the creature in the eye. The Revenant drew back its sword like the quiver of a bow preparing to stab Ruby straight through her eyes killing her instantly.

The Huntress bit her tongue, and made the only choice available. Pyrrha would be at her side in one, maybe two seconds. But that was enough time for her to bite the dust; she needed to stop the Revenant right now. Her broken jaw ached, but was being soothed by Aura; Aura that was needed elsewhere. It was like Uncle Qrow always said; the best defence is a good offence.

Ruby's energy poured into her hands, and she let go of the Revenant's arm that was choking her instead pushing all of her strength into her own two hands clasping them to stop the blade soaring towards her. She screamed as the blade tore straight through one hand, and cried out further as it speared her second one but she pushed on anyways. Just as her tolerance for pain was reaching its end, and she felt her strength waning, she saw the blade stop. The Revenant ripped its sword backwards, but instead of trying again to stab her Ruby saw it deflect Miló. It tore its hand away from her throat to push its full form into stopping Pyrrha's strike. It once again let out a growl of frustration.

Ruby stared at her ruined hands bleeding incessantly; her Aura could heal it yes. But not in time to help Pyrrha out, it would take hours for her to recover from this damage without aid. Pyrrha didn't have that time. Ruby forced herself up again; she couldn't use Crescent Rose and she couldn't use her hands, but she still had two other limbs that could do damage. She would not sit back and watch another friend die.

The Revenant slashed and sliced as it tried to get round Pyrrha's guard, her speed proving a better defence than Akoúo̱ itself. She didn't dare block, instead deflecting the blows off the cusp of the shield or even parrying them when she could. But that was a risky venture, the Revenant feinted often to try and bait such attempts. It didn't help that he was focused on more than just swordplay. Grappling, punching and kicking accentuated his threat as a fighter.

Pyrrha had faced opponents who did more than fight with their weapons, but it was either one or the other. They committed more to their weapon or to their hands and feet. The Revenant did not. It just knew when and where to apply pressure and with what instrument to do so. Speed alone was keeping her safe and even it would not protect her for long. Each strike was coming close, and the last had tickled her skin.

The Revenant kicked the shield once more, before jumping to pummel Akoúo̱ with its blade hoping to crack Pyrrha's defence. The strike connected, and Pyrrha gasped as deformed as the dent ran through it. Her bones ached from the force that travelled further still, and she could feel her heels digging into the concrete. That was power beyond what any Huntsman could do.

A red blur of roses caught her vision, and the Revenant turned around to be round-housed in the face courtesy of a very bloodied but bold Ruby Rose. The Revenant looked stunned, as a trickle of blood came from its sealed mouth. Pyrrha saw the horrible state Ruby's hands were in.

"Ruby! Get out of here now!" cried Pyrrha, discarding Akoúo̱ and shifting Miló to its rifle form. She fired off a few opportune shots at her distracted opponent.

"It's my fight too!" said Ruby, bleeding from her gums while her broken jaw muffled her speech.

" **It'll be thy last girl!"**

Ruby buckled as the Revenant shoulder dug into her stomach pummelling the wind out of her. As she fell to her knees the harsh knee of the Revenant hit home straight into her throat; Ruby choked and collapsed her consciousness fading instantly. The Revenant jolted her with a kick to the stomach and a stab to the gut tearing out her back, before throwing her body nonchalantly to the side just a few feet shy of the lighting prism. The Revenant's soulless husks gazed back at Pyrrha, who was biting her lip to prevent herself from screaming and losing composure. It twirled its blade slightly, in a taunting gesture before straightening itself.

" **You understand me do you not, not like the rest? Pray tell what is thy name? I find thou worthy of some recognition."**

The Mistralian put two hands on Miló in form she had learned long ago but never found use for until now "I am Pyrrha Nikos, and I'll be the one to end your life today monster."

The Revenant laughed in a harsh choking manner, as the dark energy began to roll of it in waves. As the chuckling died down the Revenant's gaze hardened in tandem with the steel grip on its sword.

" **No I cannot be killed by a normal human, but thine intent is clear. I shall endeavour to make thy death a spectacle as I did that boy's!"**

Pyrrha screamed as she launched forward, Miló ready to bite and tear at the Revenant's flesh. Her first attack met nothing, but with a subtle use of her semblance Pyrrha redirected herself out of a passing blow instead striking the butt of her spear across the wretched monster's face. Some purple blood spilled onto the street but the wraith's forearm struck her head regardless and Pyrrha felt her forehead burst open. Blood spilled into her eyes as her boots struck a metal leg. Gerhardt's bleeding body gazed at her sullenly.

As she stood stunned and unable to see well, Pyrrha conversely saw it. She saw it plain as a summer day in Mistral; the step the Revenant as it was lunging towards her, borne of a desire to end her quick and fast. That was a mistake that demanded punishment. Her hands gripped around Miló's shaft, seeing as the beast raised its sword above its head to cleave her in two. Its underarm unprotected, normally it would easily be shielded or covered, but the Revenant had committed to its attack. It could not shift, alter or change its course just like any ship heading straight for an iceberg. Pyrrha sucked in taking every last particle of oxygen she could as her Aura ripped into her right arm.

Milo cried out into her target.

And Pyrrha found flesh.

The Revenant screamed as the Mistralian gave no time to recuperate ramming the spear further into the beast. Purple blood spewed out, as she all but tore open its side. She knew that if it was like its minions such a wound was but a momentary inconvenience but that mattered not.

"It's up to you Gerhardt!" cried Pyrrha, as she grabbed the Revenant and directed his fountain of blood onto the Outrider showering him in the gore.

Then the moment was gone, the Revenant head-butted her and Pyrrha saw stars. A boot crushed into her chest launching her away. The Revenant once more spoke in foreign words to her instead of that familiar Mistralian dialect, but she could hear the tone. It was swearing at her. The thought brought a weak smile to her lips. The angry grunts soon fell to a groaning as the beast held the underside of its arm. The Revenant shook horribly as the air around it crackled. The prism faltered, and Pyrrha felt arms pull her away as she saw the Grimm explode in a brilliant purple light, black skulls jettisoning from it as lightening ravaged the fountain entire.

The Revenant's hood came undone before glaring at the fallen Champion of Mistral and Pyrrha could finally see the deformed skull that had become its face. It took to the air, lighting striking around it before jettisoning to Pyrrha. She saw her life flash before her eyes, constant pressure to succeed as a champion, pressure to succeed from her parents and then their love as she succeeded, even Jaune if he had only been a small but significant part. The Revenant was inches from her, and she felt the grip on her arms tighten. A green sleeve on her right hand, and pink fingerless gloves on her left. Ren and Nora? Pyrrha smiled softly, it took true friends to see her through this. It both destroyed and completed her to know they had chosen to die at her side.

The Revenant was suddenly snatched from the sky in a bluish mist, and Pyrrha's eyes widened as Gerhardt struggled with the creature on par. As the mist leaked in waves from the Revenant, Gerhardt dripped with a substance that stained the ground around him. The air around him grew cold and desolate and his eyes gleamed.

The Darkwraith growled before slashing to the side allowing the Dark to take hold of him, he saw its power swathe from his blade and cleave the air. Each and every blow followed by a beam of pure humanity that would carve and cut through all that stood in his way. Freedom. He would be the first man to be free of the shackles of the accursed sign.

With renewed fervour the Fallen Knight of New Londo battered away at the sword that the Outrider held trying to brute force his way through the guard. Strategy, pride, honour, all faded away in the embrace of the Dark Soul. He couldn't hold it any longer. He needed to complete it, he needed to be free.

" **Fall Outrider!"**

The left hand fell hard and fast upon Gerhardt who struggled, his ashen flesh and iced heart screamed in pain but he struggled on driven by instinct. His instinct called for him to continue onward even onto death. He had been given orders; an Outrider carries those orders even onto death. Such was his station, Gerhardt's knew that much.

He brought his longsword right, having discarded the dual weapons he had wielded earlier, intent on cleaving straight through the Revenant but he met only the gauntlet of the primordial man. The sword bit in, spilling blood onto Gerhardt's armoured body, but the Revenant cared not head-butting the Knight for his efforts. The Outrider fell, rolling for a time before finding himself solid on hands and feet. He crawled forwards on all fours screaming a bloody challenge as his ring burned and whispers clouded his mind calling for blood and slaughter.

" **I shall be free Outrider, free from the Gods and their machinations. Free to live! Free to be as Manus intended us to be! Free to choose! Artorias could not kill me! The Black Hand could not kill me! You will not kill me!"**

Lightning crashed at Gerhardt's feet and surged through him but he ignored the crippling pain, the Revenant followed up his attack with a lunge spearing straight into him and ploughing Gerhardt straight to the ground. The Revenant brought its sword up, and plunged it straight into Gerhardt's mouth.

There was silence for a moment, as the Outrider's eyes faded in colour. As the dark spirit made to withdraw the sword, he felt his weapon stiffen and saw the muscles in Gerhardt's jaws tense before biting down. The ancient blade shattered in two, as the Darkwraith withdrew the broken hilt and what remained of the blade. Shattered remnants of the blade were spat in his face before a longsword thrust into his gut for his efforts. Gerhardt tore through the Darkwraith's stomach, spilling even more blood onto his face in the process.

The Outrider tore the blade out vigorously, and grabbed the Revenant by his face dragging him downwards. Gerhardt roared as he smashed the pommel onto the Darkwraith's face, the Deep spilled onto the Revenant and burned at its skin. The Fallen Knight's hands dug into his eyes, but the Outrider Knight cared little. His instincts told him to kill the Revenant, and he was so close to killing it.

The Darkwraith began to punch Gerhardt trying desperately to push the Outrider from him as he felt the grip tighten on him. Gerhardt jumped back to oblige the dark spirit, before leaping over him as his cape unfurled. He withdrew the Atlesian machine gun, still strapped to his thigh and unloaded it straight into the Darkwraith's hoodless face before falling downwards and carving straight into the Fallen Knight's back with his longsword. The Primordial Man screamed a mournful sound echoed as the skulls began to burst from him again tearing at Gerhardt's skin. Lightning singed the Outrider threatening to turn him to naught but cinder, but unkindled ash was all he was.

He hadn't been fit for cinder.

The Longsword thrust in and out of the Darkwraith, first at his side, and then again at his legs and shoulders. Slowly blood spilling into a pool became a sea as the Darkwraith's ichor spread across the street. Blood aged beyond belief fell to the ground like cheap wine, Gerhardt bathed himself in what fell constantly healing from whatever wounded him. The Dark slowly lost its vicious touch, as Gerhardt took the blood of the Primordial Man into him.

The Revenant's tired shoulders sagged, but his gaze was anything but defeated. Gerhardt rammed his longsword through the man's chest relishing in the squelch of blood and the crunch as he tore straight through whatever armour there was. As he prepared to rip out the sword two hands gripped it, and another head-butt disoriented him. Gerhardt fell back, as the Darkwraith ripped the longsword from his chest with a grunt.

" **I fought like all men in the war with the Dragons alongside the Gods and Giants; I saw Izalith be consumed by Chaos and was there when New Londo was flooded to contain me and mine kin. I saw Vendrick, callous fool that he was, lead his men in the war with the giants. I survived to see the war with Angels in Lothric, and even the civil war in the city of the Gods between Gwyndolin and Sulyvahn. I will not end here, not by thine hands!"**

The last Darkwraith threw the longsword to the side; he felt his strength ebbing away in his blood that stained the ground. He was a fountain of power, but he had been drained. Those favoured pets, his army that he fashioned from those dark creatures. All of these sapped his power; but none could have opposed him regardless so he had cared little. He knew he was stronger than the Outrider, but strength didn't matter at this point. This one was resilient beyond measure, every attack emboldened him and he recovered from wounds that should have killed him ten times over while the Darkwraith's own strength waned steadily. His own sword was destroyed, and the Darkwraith knew better than to test Irithyll's steel against one of its sons.

Fine then, hand-to-hand it was.

The Darkwraith ploughed into the Outrider with his shoulder, grabbing his hair and slamming him into the ground. His foot stomped on the beast's face, but Gerhardt persisted still grabbing the Darkwraith's legs and making him fall downwards. The Fallen Knight of New Londo pushed still, gouging at the eyes of the Outrider even as he felt is claws pierce his stomach.

Gerhardt struggled as the stronger man began to dominate their brawl, even after everything the Revenant stood firm. He could claw and bite and stab and slash and gouge but nothing was taking him down. But he would have success. The Revenant would die, he would complete his orders. The whispers quieted to allow for some common strategy.

The Darkwraith screamed as the Outrider bit down hard onto his left arm, he brought his right elbow to the side bludgeoning the Outrider's head watching blood spew from the crown of the Knight's head. But he realised his mistake too late. The Outrider's feral grip loosened all too readily as he quickly climbed into a hunched stance. He'd let him get out of his grasp, where his strength was king. Now mobility came into play.

And the Darkwraith knew he had become slow.

He brought up his arms, trying to defend himself but it was futile. At one moment the Outrider was at his left side slashing at him and at another the beast gouged at his right leg. He could see what the Irithyllian dog was doing, but was powerless to stop him. The Darkwraith knew that he had lost too much blood. He felt his legs weakened, and gazed at the Outrider who stood ready to pounce. As he resigned himself, the Fallen Knight saw amongst the abhorrent waves of the Deep dripping from the Outrider a beautiful sight. A smidgen, barely a hint. A beautiful stone in a sea of sand. But it was there.

A hint of the Dark rolled from the Outrider's skin, untainted by the Profaned Flame or the Deep. As pure as the Abyss that Manus had forged. As pure as the Abyss that lay within him. There was a man behind the beast then.

" **Go ahead, inherit mine shackles Outrider. Inherit our collective loss. That one day all men might be free."**

Gerhardt lunged crashing down upon the Darkwraith, his hunger could be abated no longer and the whisper returned howling for blood. He ripped and tore his way through the Darkwraith's ribcage, beginning to consume the shrivelled organs of a being far older than Remnant. Far older than he. His mind became a haze; all he could smell was the beautiful scent of the Revenant's blood and the taste of his flesh commanded all of Gerhardt's attention. He ate his fill, ignoring the disgusted sounds by those who had tried to fight him earlier. With one last reach inside the body of the Revenant he withdrew its blackened heart, stained with the Dark. Gerhardt swallowed it whole, licking his lips as the whispers began to quiet and the haze lifted. His eyes faded from ice, instead returning to the blue they ought to have been. The ring on his finger burned, but he ignored it in favour of looking at the Revenant who despite it all lay still alive but dying still.

A small red stone lay in the palm of the Darkwraith's hand, an eye bizarrely cut into it. Gerhardt tentatively wrapped his hands around the gem; he felt a longing for it. A familiarity. He knew that it was important, not to his Mistress but to him. He made to pocket the orb in one of the pouches that lay across his armour, but the thought of his mistress quieted those emotions. The feelings disappeared entire.

Gerhardt's hand clenched around the trinket, letting go as it crumbled into a fine red dust in his hands. He let it fall onto the still-living corpse of the Darkwraith before wandering over to pick up his sword. He sheathed in and then turned to see the red-haired girl with green eyes glaring at him while two of her friends stood ready at her side. The girl with the red-cloak was being attended to by her own two friends.

"I thank you for your assistance," said Gerhardt slowly, his hand still firmly on his blade, "and for that I will forget your attack on me. I shall not be the ones to kill you here."

Yang look tearfully as her sister lay dying and the Knight began to walk off. She could not fight him, but she'd be damned if she let him walk away so easy. "My sister fought for you, even after everything you did. Are you going to leave her here, like this?"

Gerhardt stopped walking, but did not turn his head instead putting on his helmet.

"Look at me you bastard!"

Yang's hair ignited, as Gerhardt's own icy gaze fell on her. Metal footsteps echoed as the Outrider marched up to her and Weiss. His hand withdrew his sword. Yang winced, before spreading herself over Ruby.

"Please, don't let her go. Don't take Ruby away from me."

Gerhardt's eyes softened slightly, as he gazed at the damage. His grip fell off the sword, sighing softly he withdrew the chime. The machinations of the thing were a mystery to him, but perhaps it would heal her as it could heal him.

The metal gauntlets pushed aside her torn cape which was shielding her wounds from prying eyes. The Revenant had struck true, straight through her stomach and out the back. Its kick had crunched her ribs into bits, and if the coughing of blood was anything he would guess that her lungs were flooding with the blood she had spilled. The hands were in a sorry state as well.

His memory recalled a far-flung story, the tale of some healer long forgotten who performed surgery on fallen warriors, and he let the chime's 'magic' or whatever it was do the rest. He saw her coughing cease, and the wounds sealed although red mark were still visible. Gerhardt tore her cloak into pieces, wrapping it around her waist and hands to cover them up. He had a small amount of the surplus red cloak in his hand, he look at it for a moment before pocketing it.

He made to get up, but Ruby grabbed his gauntlet. He looked at her for a moment seeing a deep pain and misery. His eyes twitched feeling some recognition, but that faded. He ripped his wrist from her hand and looked to the other two beside her who looked at him with a mixture of gratitude and wariness.

"You are lucky she is still alive, my talents do not extend to the dead."

Gerhardt just knew that was true. He could prolong life, save life but never give life. After all that would be a miracle that even he could not perform.

Pyrrha closed her eyes in pain as she heard those words. That was it then. Jaune couldn't be saved. The metal footsteps echoed as she saw Gerhardt climb the footsteps of the fountain. Her jaw had mostly healed, and she wanted to say something. Anything. But her mouth stayed closed. Gerhardt gazed back one last time at the scene behind him, before turning a corner and leaving her sight.

"Pyrrha, you okay?" asked Nora, her voice full of hurt and worry for her friend.

"No Nora, I'm not."

She stumbled to her feet, past the carnage of the battle that had just taken place and the corpses of the Atlesian soldiers. Her eyes went skyward and saw the storm clouds begin to drift apart and her ears heard bullheads roar overhead to combat the Grimm. Pyrrha's eyes fell downwards on the Revenant, which sat bleeding out but still alive. She felt its non-existent eyes look at her as she raised Miló over her head with both hands.

" **Ah, I was wrong then. Was I not?"**

Pyrrha let go stabbing straight through the creature's head, its body twitched before ceasing its movements entirely and laying still. As the storm ceased, Pyrrha felt wetness on her cheek.

She fell to her knees and cried, as the rain began to pour from the heavens.

* * *

Cinder smiled as she saw the Knight return covered in blood and gore but standing proudly with his helmet on. She noticed a new addition, a red plume that looked fashioned from some cloth he had picked up somewhere. She liked it, the look suited him.

Mercury and Emerald tensed up as they saw him, but she waved them down. It wouldn't do for them to make a bad impression with their new comrade. She got off the bench she was sitting on, looking at the ruined square around her. "I assume you killed it then?"

"It will plague you no more," answered Gerhardt sharply falling to his knees and bowing his head.

Mercury scoffed "Talk about a suck-up."

"Quiet Mercury. You could stand to learn a bit from Gerhardt and Emerald in humility," said Cinder softly, as her hand began to glow with her newfound Maiden powers.

"Yes Ma'am," said Mercury, nervously looking away as Cinder began to converse with her newest subordinate.

Vale was in ruins, people lay dead everywhere. Emerald was at home in this, she followed Cinder to the letter and this 'Gerhardt' seemed to be the same kind of guy. But him? He was loyal to Cinder, he owed her a lot.

Mercury's scanned the surroundings before noticing a purple object sticking out of the rubble. As he made to inspect it further he felt a sharp elbow in his side courtesy of his partner.

"Mercury!" hissed Emerald pointing at the Knight who stood extending his hand.

He shook his head in confusion before grasping the hand in a shake "Mercury Black, nice to meet you."

Mercury listened to the Knight introduce his name and title, but once he moved on to speak with Emerald his eyes focused back on that purple object. He took a look a closer look, and saw exactly what it was.

A crushed rattle.

He owed Cinder a lot, but Mercury was beginning to think that he owed her his soul as well.

* * *

Yokoi Sen had always considered herself a simple woman. She was wife to a loving husband, and mother of three children. Although she was a tad atypical to city-folk she supposed. She was a hunter, not like those that killed Grimm no, but one that hunted deer, hares and even wild pigs from time to time. It was enjoyable to her, her mother had taught her how to use a bow and once her daughter was old enough Yokoi would teach her to use a bow as well.

Her husband was a fisherman which was typical enough profession for the village of Nagahoro. It straddled a river after all. There was little else to the village. Small, simple, safe. Just the way she liked it. Mistral was a harsh land at times, and living on the outside villages put them within reach of the Grimm. But Nagahoro had yet to suffer the fate that befell Kuroyuri all those years ago.

Yokoi's eyes hardened as she saw a doe gently grazing on the fresh green grass. She kept her steps as silent as possible, slowly creeping towards the brush. As drew closer she nocked an arrow, falling to one knee to steady herself. She pulled back listening to the twang of the bow string stretching. She kept her hand straight aiming for the deer's head.

Suddenly the doe's head bolted upwards, before it shot into the treeline and out of sight. Yokoi let loose her arrow regardless, but it hit naught but the bark of a tall tree. She swore quietly. That could have been months' worth of food there, and venison always sold well at the market. She made to pursue, but her eyes narrowed as she saw rustling from the trees.

A buck burst through into the clearing bellowing, Yokoi rolled as it charged past her. She readied for its return nocking another arrow to put down the deer, but the animal cared not charging onwards into the brush. Birds cried from the trees as they fled while even hares ran past her. Yokoi grabbed one hare, breaking its neck quickly and painlessly before placing it into her hunting sack. A hare would do for now, but there was more important matters. Only a human could cause that much ruckus and scare away that many animals. Yokoi had heard talk the bandits that ravaged the Mistralian country-side were there, the Branwen clan were endemic at the moment. She had to warn the village if they were here.

Yokoi ran swiftly, but quietly into the treeline walking through trees and bushes with practices ease. Her eyes searched for anything but found nothing. But her ears. Her ears told her the full story.

Silence.

Any hunter worth their salt could tell you that dead silence in a forest is a sign of bad things to come. With a quick prayer to the village spirits to give her strength, she moved onward. She had to see what was in here, if not the village could be destroyed. Her children could be killed; Yokoi knew heart would not rest easy until she figured out just what was going on.

So onward she pushed, deep into the forest outside Nagahoro. The silence was overbearing, not a chirp from a bird or the call of the frogs. Nothing. It wasn't right.

A hint of blue caught her attention, Yokoi got on her knees to examine the leaf that she saw it on. A strange blue liquid dripped from the underside of the leaf, like it had been smeared on. She reached to touch it but recoiled in shock from the sting given out. That was cold, colder than even the worst Atlesian winters. Yokoi heard a rustling, and what could only be described as dripping like a faucet left on or a leak in a roof. She looked at some parted brushes with animal tracks made on the ground. She stalked forward, nocking an arrow but not yet pulling the string. She looked out into the clearing.

Her eyes widened, as she saw three men and a large woman taller than anyone had the right to be standing around a fissure in the sky. It was as if the deep blue sea had opened up in the air. The air around it was frigid and cold, but the fissure slowly began to close as the dripping of the liquid from its maw stopped.

Yokoi took a better look at the figures. Two wore golden crowns and armour layered with what looked like silk so smooth and flowing that it was as if it were made of a spirit's dress, one wielded a massive scythe while the other held a wickedly curved sword and a well-crafted shield. Flowing white hair came from their heads, but it looked sickly and malnourished like a plant that had not seen the sun in years.

Another figure stood tall even amongst the other two men and the woman. They wore an obscuring helmet, and extremely ornate armour accented with curves and engraved with gold. His helmet had a hole in it, but try as she might Yokoi could make out a face within. The armoured warrior held what she could only describe as a massive torch or tinder of some description which throbbed with a fire that danced in her eyes.

The woman was a ghastly sight. Fat beyond measure, almost as wide as the trunk of tree. A spike mace lay in her right hand, while a tome or book of some description lay in her left. She wore a preacher's hat, something than Yokoi had not seen in years. The woman was kneeling at the moment, as if praying. Yokoi's senses took hold of her, it was time to leave.

She heard a cracking of a branch, and the two warriors who wore the same armour turned and looked at her. Yokoi screamed.

Skulls, they were skulls with flesh barely plastered on. She moved to run as the two monsters moved to go after her while the other creature with the torch stared nonchalantly. The preacher turned her way and laughed softly.

"An interloper? We simply cannot let her get away."

Yokoi ran through the brush hearing the heels of her two pursuers clack as they chased her across the forest, she saw a clearing and Nagahoro not far beyond. She could make it.

She could make it.

" _Gerhardt?"_

A gasp ran through her as a chilling rapier jettisoned out of her stomach that looked like it had been forged from the coldest ice in Remnant. Her head turned and she barely saw icy blue eyes glaring at her through a chilling mask. The creature was on all fours, and yet easily towered over her. She felt cold breath scrape her skin, as the blood in her veins chilled.

Yokoi screamed.

And then there was silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, this concludes the first arc of The Outride to Remnant. I shall never say its full name again because it makes me sound self-important. I hope it has been entertaining so far I can tell you it certainly has been entertaining to write. As always don't feel afraid to review, or say nothing at all. You reading my story means the world to me. Also you can PM me if you have some questions about what has happened, but I am afraid I won't be spoiling anything so you'll have to wait and see.
> 
> The only note of worth that I can comment on in this chapter is that I mentioned 'praying to spirits', at the moment religion is nebulous in Remnant. That is to say no one really has a clue how it works, because it was a non-issue to Volume 4 before the Gods were introduced and the cover-up of the Maidens was explained. I am simply reaching the conclusion that like in our world some believe in something greater, but I would say to a lesser extent than our own and I think Polytheism is that dominant religion. I also believe its a far bigger trend in the villages as it helps keep the communities together. That being said, unless CRWBY or the show contradicts this I don't think anyone in the main cast is religious at all.
> 
> I'll be taking a week break, just to give myself some rest before I pump out the next chapter. Writing and proof-reading are more exhausting than I thought, it's a good thing I have everything planned to the letter or I just would give up. Anyways, I hope to see you guys two weeks from now. Everyone stay safe and I'll catch you next time.


	17. Chapter 17

"Vel-"

A ringing tore through her ears, but she could hear nothing distinct. Her eyes were open, but nothing was there save a blinding white light that consumed everything. Her hands felt clammy and numb, and her nose could smell nothing but a strong disinfectant. She moved her arms, but a pain shot her down. A pained moaning assaulted her ears, but she couldn't even tell if it was her own.

"Velv-"

What was that sound? Her arm stung a bit, but not as much as when she tried to move it. Pressure. Was someone grabbing her? Who?

"Velvet."

The white faded, as the room around her revealed itself. Velvet's eyes opened, as she turned to her side to see Coco sitting worried by her bed. Velvet smiled softly, before frowning in confusion.

"Where are your sunglasses?"

Coco started to grin, giggling quietly before it broke out into full-blown laughter as tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. Velvet's ears furrowed, as she felt Coco pat her shoulder comfortingly.

"You've been asleep for three weeks, and the first thing you ask me is where my sunglasses are? You're really something Vel."

The faunus cheeks began to glow red in embarrassment, in hindsight it did seem pretty stupid to ask.

Coco shook her head happily "But if you have to know, the docs said I can't wear them in hospital because they think it will hurt my eyesight. Can you believe that? Bunch of crap."

Velvet watched her team leader pat her beret with some familiarity, it was a rather comical sight. Coco was in a hospital gown, and yet her hat sat firmly on her head. As funny as the scene was, Velvet couldn't help but think something was missing. Some people.

"Where are Yatsu and Fox?"

A frown met Velvet's question, while all the joy and colour drained from Coco as she took her beret off to look at the ceiling. A sinking feeling shot through Velvet as she saw Coco's reaction. She reached out, pain biting at her to grab Coco's arm.

Velvet's eyes began to narrow in fear "Coco, this isn't funny. Where are Yatsu and Fox?"

"They're gone Vel."

The feeling crashed into her like a speeding train, but only left a bitter hurting pain in her. Velvet tried to speak, but she was stuck as her words lay still. Anything. Everything. Something. It didn't matter. It just did not make sense. Yatsuhashi and Fox were tough, they were smart, and most importantly they were her friends. CFVY had been her first friends. Friends don't leave each other behind.

"I want to see them," said Velvet pushing herself up slowly her still healing wounds still tender and writhing with pain.

Coco struggled to push her down from her own seated position "Vel listen to yourself, you can't see them. Didn't you hear me?"

As she tried to force Velvet down, Coco grimaced. Her friend's eyes were anything but accepting, they looked desperate. They looked irrational. They looked scared. All things she, Yatsu and Fox had tried to work out of her.

"No, no, no, no, no…"

Velvet pushed herself out of the bed falling onto the floor on the opposite side from Coco, crawling forward disoriented beyond belief. She felt sick. But she had to get to her feet; she had to find Yatsu and Fox.

"Velvet!"

Velvet pushed on not looking back to Coco, as she stumbled her way into the halls.

"So the trains are down around Vale are they?"

"Yeah, the Grimm tore it up real good. It'll take months to get them back up again, if not more."

Velvet stared at the two nurses who ceased their conversation promptly to look at her oddly, before trying to say something to her patient. Telling her she needed to get back to bed. The first nurse grabbed her arm but Velvet shook her off watching her fall to the ground shocked, while the other backed away warily. Injured or not, disoriented or not Velvet was still a huntress-in-training and was more than capable of overpowering any regular human or faunus.

She began to burst in a sprint, her legs screamed at her for it but her heart and mind praised the move. She checked each and every room, seeing bewildered patients and staff looking at her for a moment before Velvet sprinted to the next room. But the number of doors was growing smaller and Yatsuhashi and Fox weren't getting any closer.

Velvet came through the second last door, and was surprised to see three beds and a chair all occupied by familiar faces. Weiss blinked in surprise from the chair. Blake looked at her wearily, looking sick but still firm. Yang was asleep, and Ruby was hooked up to so much machinery it was hard to tell flesh from metal. Velvet had questions, but she didn't have the time to ask any but one.

"Have you seen Fox and Yatsuhashi?"

Weiss' eyes blinked, before she looked at her lap muttering her condolences. Velvet was about to run to the next room, but a wheelchair blocked her with Coco in it.

Velvet gasped as she saw the state of her leader, but Coco's gaze was anything but pitiful. She glared at Velvet harshly, but there was a smidgen of tenderness on her face as well as she looked at her friend.

"Come on back to your room, before you make more of a scene. No arguments."

She nodded, following Coco who wheeled herself back to the room past the nurses who were now understandably more wary of their faunus patient. Velvet idly wondered if she had just confirmed every stereotype the woman had ever had, but that was just her trying to escape reality as she often did.

Velvet sat on the bed, but she felt that feeling seize her again even as she saw Coco bring the wheelchair to a halt. That unwillingness to accept, that unwillingness to believe. She looked into her leader's eyes.

"Where are they Coco?"

Coco snapped.

"They're dead dammit! Dead! Gone! They bought the farm! They bit the dust! What else do you want to say here, huh? That they're in a better place. They are dead and buried! Both of them! They're not here anymore, do you understand me Vel?"

"No," said Velvet simply turning away blankly.

Coco reached forward leaning out of the seat to grab at her friend "Look at me dammit!

She missed, and fell to the hard tiled floor. Her aura completely muffled the blow, but it mattered little. It hadn't muffled the blow when it mattered. Coco looked at the ground for a moment, before pushing her way around to the wheelchair. It took effort, but she was able to get herself back in. Velvet stared at her as she got back into the chair.

"Is that what you wanted to see Vel," said Coco dully, "a cripple try and grab you? Yatsu and Fox are dead. Yatsu got stabbed in the chest, but the big guy tried to hold Gerhardt still long enough for Fox to capitalise. Got a dagger in his throat for it. And Fox?"

Velvet could taste the silence, as Coco dryly licked her lips before continuing.

"He'd already started the attack, but Gerhardt was ready for Fox after murdering Yatsu. The bastard cut Fox straight in half as he made his lunge, killed Fox instantly. At least I hope it did."

Tears began to drip from Velvet's eyes as she listened, saw and felt Coco's pain.

"He didn't even see it coming, he didn't have a chance."

The smallest tear dripped from Coco's eye, but it was gone in and instant brushed away by her hand. She looked at Velvet grimly before continuing "Me and you? We put up a better fight, but he was still too much. He was cutting you to ribbons, you were so fast and I was so so proud but it just wasn't enough. Every time you got away from being cut in half or stabbed right through he would nip at you. It wasn't long before you were bleeding all over the show. You got slower, clumsier. You tripped, and he was going to kill you with his next stab, so I jumped in front."

Velvet's eyes looked as Coco rubbed her side unconsciously.

"He went straight through my back and out my side, tore through my spine according to the docs. Aura's good, good enough that if I had got immediate attention I could've walked away. But that didn't happen. And now I'm not walking anywhere ever again."

Velvet got out of the bed, and knelt beside the wheelchair hugging Coco who stroked her hair in kind.

"I'm sorry Coco, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah Vel, so am I."

There was silence for a moment, before Coco seized stroking her friend's hair instead motioning instead for Velvet to take a seat again on the bed. She sighed before speaking.

"RWBY and JNPR saved us, and from what I hear they even gave Gerhardt a good fight for a bit. But lo and behold the Revenant shows up, like a bat out of hell."

Velvet blinked in confusion "But what does that matter? I saw RWBY, they were injured but alive. I'd think JNPR would be the same. They killed Gerhardt, and then they killed the Revenant?"

"No, they fought the Revenant together. Ruby, Pyrrha and Gerhardt. And then he left," said Coco gripping the sides of the chair tightly, "Bastard walked away stained with the blood of dozens of innocents, he hasn't been seen since. But he's still out there, and I can't do a damn thing."

Coco leaned back breathing softly, her eyes screwed up in thought. Velvet waited patiently, Coco always knew what to say. Always knew what to do. Velvet wasn't dumb, far from it in fact. She knew there was no way to bring Yatsu and Fox back, but if there was some form of afterlife they could never rest easy as long as Gerhardt walked Remnant.

"I'm finished Vel," said Coco simply, "you can't make a cripple into a Huntress. You're roughed up, but still walking, talking and breathing. This doesn't have to be the end for you, and I don't want it to be."

Coco leaned closer to Velvet.

"Jaune from JNPR is dead, poor kid got run through by the Revenant. I know it's horrible, but they need a new member. You have the option to go on to be a huntress like you've always wanted to Vel."

Velvet shook her head "But CFVY? What about CFVY?"

"You're it now kid, two of us are dead and the other's a cripple. That makes you the last woman standing. Ain't much of a team is it?" Coco smiled bitterly, "I'm all for wanting you to achieve your dreams, to be the best Huntress you can be, but I've always been a bit selfish. So I want you to do this for me. You go out and join Pyrrha, Nora and that boy Ren; you learn and work your ass off to become as good as you can. Then you find Gerhardt, a year from now or twenty. I don't care. But you find him and you take his head off for us, alright? You kill him for me, for Fox, for Yatsu."

"I swear I'll do it," said Velvet, tearing dripping from her eyes.

"I know you will Vel, that's why I asked. Do me a favour now, and get some rest. You're in a much better state than me, but that doesn't mean you're fit enough to run around gung-ho. Beacon's in shambles at the moment, you can wait a week or two. You won't be missing any of Oobleck's history lessons anyways if you get me."

Velvet nodded as she got herself comfortable back on the hospital bed watching Coco wheel herself out slowly. The prospect of joining JNPR scared her, how could she fill the hole that Jaune had left. She wouldn't lie to herself, she'd never known Jaune. She couldn't remember if she'd spoken to him more than once. But to JNPR he was their leader, their friend, their family. It was a good thing she could wait a few weeks, because they needed time to grieve.

But thoughts of sympathy soon gave way to anger, and Velvet knew in her heart she would never be content until she completed her promise to Coco, Yatsu and Fox. To her comrades, her friends, her family. She would kill Gerhardt not only to avenge CFVY, but to save anyone else from being hurt by him. With these thoughts solidly in her head, Velvet closed her eyes and drifted off into a troubled sleep.

* * *

"The Atlesian Fleet must remain in place! The worst of the Breach has passed, but downtown Vale is still infested with Grimm. The clean-up operation could last years without the fleet; with it I can have it stomped out in weeks."

Glynda shook her head viciously, her hand resting on her maimed shoulder "Ozpin was quite clear about the necessity of the Fleet's removal! I was willing to support your extended stay in Vale until the worst had passed; the Fleet can stay no longer, as far as Vacuo and Mistral are concerned Vale is incapable of protecting itself. With the presence of the strong-arm of the Atlesian Military growing daily, we are beginning to look more like a satellite state of Atlas rather than our own independent Kingdom!"

Ironwood's metal hand crushed the cup of wine he had in his hand. This argument had been raging for an hour on and off. Glynda was smart, smarter than him he would wager. But far too loyal. Ozpin was a great man, but he was dead having perished from the wounds he took from Cinder and the strain of saving Qrow and Glynda. It would take time before he could return to the helm. Ozpin had left before he could even appreciate the severity of the situation, and now it was up him and his army to sort out the mess left behind.

"I hate to say it, but Jimmy might be right."

The General turned to see Qrow, battered but still breathing from his seat. He was covered in cuts and bruises all over, but if compared with how he'd been three weeks ago it would be a miracle.

"And how might he be right Qrow, did you forget how Ozpin saw the situation?" asked Glynda sternly.

Qrow groaned in irritation. He took a customary swig of his flask before continuing "Look Glynda, I've followed Ozpin for years. I am the only one of our little "group" here that actually busts his ass out in the field, I work hard and I work long to get the man the stuff he needs. But that doesn't mean I am some errand-boy, and despite the fact that I look it I am far from stupid."

"No-one was suggesting you were stupid-"

"Doesn't matter if you were or weren't," said Qrow butting in, "Look, I understand how every kingdom thinks, because unlike the rest of you I visit them on the regular. You're right; Vacuo and Mistral probably will be up in arms about the prospect of a Vale-Atlas alliance. No one wants another Great War I get it, so they hate alliances, but right now ten percent of this city is uninhabitable and we all know that Grimm snowball quickly. They need to be taken out root and stem now, or we might never get them out."

Ironwood nodded in appreciation "Thank you Qrow-"

"Don't even start. Also we need boots on the ground that are leather not metal if you get what I mean. Jimmy I know your army was gutted in the Breach and you want to prove your robots in battle, but we need the 'human touch'. And not just on controls so don't try and deploy just Paladins."

Qrow drank from his flask again.

"You can deploy Knights, but they need to be with humans. Last thing we need is the idea that Atlas has sent a robot army to occupy Vale. The Council has already recalled just about every active Huntsman and Huntress back to Vale, seeing them fighting alongside Atlesian men and women should ease tensions a bit. Together we should get this fixed up quick and clean."

"Fair enough," said Ironwood, unfolding his arms.

The two men looked to Glynda who sat propped on Ozpin's desk. She'd inherited his role in the running of Vale's affair for the interim and therefore held some sway over the council. Enough to make this decision, and it was a tough one to make, what Qrow said was true. He did have the best appreciation of the climate and feeling across Remnant, he was probably the most well-informed person in the room at the moment. But she was Ozpin's right hand, she knew just about everything there was to know about what he was thinking. She knew he would want the fleet gone regardless.

But screw it for now, Ozpin was intelligent beyond measure but she had to look out for Vale while he was gone. It was evident enough the council wouldn't and without her support Ironwood couldn't.

"Fine, you have two months."

All of the pressure in the room evaporated, as Ironwood clearly relaxed.

"Thanks Glynda."

Qrow spoke up "What about the fake students from Haven? The girl in red, Cinder is a big problem. I've spoken with Leo and he seems to have no idea how they forged their documents. With her and her two accomplices we have a big problem. Amber's dead and buried and we have a rogue maiden that seems to be in league with Salem."

"And the Knight?" asked Ironwood, "he was their too. It's possible he's in league with Cinder."

Glynda shook her head "I saw how he acted in class; he was far too confused and distant to be a plausible plant in Beacon for her. Those Haven students were inconspicuous and deceptively normal, but in hindsight they were probing on the regular for weakness. Gerhardt did no such thing. Besides, if what Miss Rose said to Qrow is true then he is the reason the Revenant was beaten down enough that Miss Nikos was able kill it."

Ironwood could feel the baleful silence from Qrow; he knew that the majority of the man's injuries were caused by the Knight. He was loathe to trust Gerhardt, but the possibility of a powerful asset for Atlas was tempting. Even if the story of what had happened to his men because of the Knight was true.

"What does it matter what he did or did not do?" said Qrow with a hint of spite, "he's gone. We haven't seen him since the Breach three weeks ago."

Goodwitch raised her cup, coffee rather than hot cocoa that Ozpin favoured, taking a sip from it. She shook her head firmly. "Gone, but not dead. Anything that can return from death is undoubtedly stubborn and resilient. I know we will see him again, just as I believe we'll see Cinder and her agents again."

Qrow raised his flask in a mocking toast, watching as Ironwood and Goodwitch frowned in disapproval "Here's sooner rather than later."

As Ironwood and Goodwitch again resumed their conversation debating their next actions Qrow frowned. His scroll had just been sent a message, from an old friend from Mistral. He took another swig of his flask.

What could Shiro Wan want?

* * *

Mercury sighed, as he unscrewed the bolt in his left leg releasing some of the pressure it held on his skin. There was no denying that these prosthetics had become second nature and that in a way they were comfortable; but every once in a while, maybe once a month or even twice, just before he hit the hay. He'd feel it.

The itch, of legs that weren't there.

Everyone had a sob story about their lives, he wasn't dumb enough or naïve enough to believe it mattered worth a damn though. His father had been an alcoholic, and wasn't a pleasant guy to deal with. Damn good fighter though, and he'd taught Mercury everything he knew. Too much honestly, considering that he'd gotten killed by his own son and pupil.

A soft laugh escaped Mercury's lips, there was an irony too that. If it was the right word; he didn't often dwell on why he killed his father. And he would think of it no further. He'd always been a "in the now" kind of guy.

Sharp pain erupted from the back of his head, and Mercury cried out in pain before turning to see green hair and red eyes.

"Go bother someone else," snapped Mercury, furiously tightening the bolt again, "I'm sure Cinder would be glad to put up with you. I'm stuck with you for like ninety percent of the day; can I at least get my ten percent alone?"

Emerald frowned at Mercury "Two things. One, you spend one hundred percent of that ninety percent bothering me so let's not pretend I enjoy it and you don't. And two, Cinder is busy."

"Ah."

The bolt tightened.

"Playing around with her toy soldier again is she?"

Piercing red eyes glared at Mercury, but he continued to nonchalantly perform maintenance. A ghost of a smile graced his lips, but vanished into the wind as the leaves on the trees around them rustled.

"You are very lucky that I find your company far better than his or I'd tell Gerhardt that one," said Emerald sharply.

Mercury laughed softly "Oh get real Emerald, the guy is impossibly polite and professional with us. Hell, he even goes out of the way to do us favours. The real reason you don't like him is because he's Cinder's favourite now. Not you."

"Shut up Mercury."

"Touch a nerve did I?"

Mercury's hand burst into a flame for a moment, before it disappeared. He frowned at the illusion.

Emerald's eyes burned at him, contrasting her cool demeanour. She leaned closer.

"Shut up."

"Oh come on, we agreed that you weren't gonna use your semblance on me! Rules are rules," said Mercury, finishing his maintenance and sitting up proper.

"We also agreed that you would stop being an ass, but hey that didn't happen either. So I think we will just have to live with it."

Mercury wanted to voice his complaints, but it was true. He couldn't really force her to do much of anything. Emerald's semblance was a complex and powerful one, the ability to make someone see something that wasn't there. Cinder had scouted her for it, same way it was his skill as an assassin that caused her to pick him up and put him to work. Emerald could theoretically show you something nice with it, but as of yet she only extended that courtesy to Cinder when she asked for it and always in private.

Who knows what Cinder wanted to see that she couldn't get herself?

"So," said Mercury, trying to ease a bit of the tension, "what are they doing?"

Emerald stared at him for a moment, and Mercury was nigh certain she was going to snap. Her face crinkled up and her eyes narrowed. There was silence, before her face smoothed and she relaxed her glare.

"Cinder's practicing with her powers; she said Salem could help her more but that she doesn't want to show up like an idiot not able to do anything. She needed a target to practice on."

"What so Gerhardt agreed to be a test subject?"

"He did. I sat and watched for a while, Cinder's amazing now. She's so powerful. But Gerhardt, he just takes it. Like he doesn't flinch, Cinder evaporated about forty feet of trees around Gerhardt. It should have killed him, but both Cinder and he were confident it wouldn't and sure enough he walks out singed but other than that fine."

Mercury whistled in confirmation. He had seen Gerhardt and while he wasn't anything specially imposing in figure, when you'd seen Hazel not much else seemed intimidating, there was no denying he was unbelievably tough.

Emerald continued "That thing appeared, the Seer. Salem spoke with Cinder for a bit, and asked to see Gerhardt. She then asked Cinder to get a specific huntsman as well as some others or something. I don't know. Said it would take a couple of days or so, Cinder agreed. Salem then told me to leave, because she wanted to speak with Cinder and Gerhardt alone. I think we'll be stuck here a bit longer until we find them all and get rid of them."

Mercury groaned "Damn, I was really hoping to eat something else but Rabbit you know?"

"Yeah well you'll have to reign in your appetite, because we are stuck here. Cinder's confident Gerhardt will find this guy, but I mean come on. All Salem said was 'he's in the area'. That could mean in the next one hundred meters around us or one hundred kilometres. There is no way he is finding that Huntsman, even then the guys fully trained and Cinder wants him back unscathed. How can Gerhardt do that? If Cinder had sent me I could have made an illusion that would have brought that Huntsman in hook, line and sinker. He left a few hours ago, but at this rate it'll be a few days before he gets back."

"Look Emerald, I ain't trying to annoy you when I tell you Gerhardt's the new favourite. Same way Salem plays favourites with all her followers like Cinder. He is Cinder's favourite, alright? You just gotta get used to it."

To Mercury's surprise instead of stomping off in a fit of anger or unleashing another illusion on him Emerald instead nodded vigorously but with a determined gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah he is right now. But that's natural; it's like when you get a new toy you know? Didn't have many when I was young, couldn't afford it, but I remember how much more I was interested with my new one over my old one. Still went back to the old one though. Cinder will get tired of Gerhardt, and then I'll be back in her favour. Cinder knows I'm loyal because I care about her. Gerhardt's loyal, because… well I ain't sure but it isn't natural anyways. He's an animal. A freak."

Mercury wanted to tell her it was a bit different with people than toys, but knowing Emerald she would be glad to be Cinder's toy. There was loyalty, and then there was what Emerald showed Cinder. Mercury however also wanted to escape from this conversation unscathed so he just nodded and said yes. Because that was what Emerald wanted to hear. And generally it was also what Cinder wanted to hear from him.

He'd made it an art to not give an opinion on these things and instead only give the correct answer.

A nod and a yes, hadn't failed him yet.

Footsteps echoed across the clearing, crunching on the wet grass. One's soft and the others viciously louder. Cinder entered the picture first, with Gerhardt obediently trailing behind looking a bit more singed and blackened than usual carting a Huntsman who was clearly unconscious but surprisingly unharmed.

Gerhardt was devoid of his helmet instead having it clipped to his side, and he was doing that thing with his face again. Mercury hadn't a clue what it was, his face looked cracked but with fire. As if his blood was magma.

"A word, if you all would?" said Cinder softly, but her tone commanded authority.

Mercury cracked his neck and looked at her taking note of Emerald perking in surprise at the presence of the Huntsman. Her eyes scanned Gerhardt's unnaturally still body as he listened to Cinder.

"I've been in contact with my master, and she is quite interested in seeing us all when we arrive in her lands," said Cinder smiling slightly, "but we have some errands to run first. A few choice huntsmen are causing problems, like this one here. The top priority is the one Hazel got sloppy with, he wounded her but she got away. The Huntress hasn't reported back yet to anyone as far as we can tell, and the last thing we need is anyone discovering our existence."

Cinder's hand crackled with a powerful flame as her maiden's power bloomed into sight.

"We need to snuff them out."

Her hands closed, killing the flame.

"Where is she?" asked Emerald.

"Not far from Mistral, according to Hazel, in one of the outlying towns. Once we find her and silence her, we'll have to go deal with the others," said Cinder, some distaste worming its way into her voice, "It could stall us for an extra month."

Mercury spoke up "And how do we find her, what do we have to go on?"

"Hazel will be meeting us; he snagged a piece of her jacket stained with her blood on it. Gerhardt will be able to track her from that."

The Knight nodded promptly.

"You kidding me?" said Mercury, turning to the Outrider, "you can track someone from a bloody jacket?"

Gerhardt's pale blue eyes looked at him with a mixture of interest, and surprisingly some respect.

"I believe I can," rasped Gerhardt, "as long as this Hazel has not contaminated the jacket. Just as Emerald can make an illusion appear before your eyes I can smell far better than you, see far better than you, and hear far better than you."

Gerhardt's gaze turned to Emerald as he noticed her staring which she promptly stopped.

"Where am I?"

The metal gauntlets released the huntsman who fell to the ground sputtering, having just awoken. Cinder watched the confused man with a pleasant grin.

"Now do you know who we are Shiro Wan?" said Cinder brushing the hair over her left eye, "oh what am I saying of course you don't. You see, whether you know it or not you've been pushing your nose into other people's affairs. And unfortunately for you, we cannot allow that."

Shiro's brown eyes focused on her as his confusion faded into wariness "You are the ones murdering Mistralian Huntsmen and Huntresses aren't you?"

"Not us personally, but we work with the people who do. And we can't have you shedding any light on our work."

The Huntsman looked at Cinder's face, as his grey hair began to glow slightly "If you think I am letting you kill me that quickly then you've another thing coming."

"Gerhardt if you would."

The Outrider slugged the man across the face, and Mercury cringed as he saw teeth fly shattered into so many pieces they looked like snowflakes. That was something he could only do on his strongest kicks, to see it done from a simple punch was… something else. He'd been certain only Hazel could do that.

"Now, I really don't want to have to do that again," said Cinder coyly, smiling as she saw the man bleeding from the mouth, "We can make this very quick and painless. I very much doubt a veteran Huntsman, like yourself, doesn't keep any documents of your findings. In fact, I'd say you have every trail and idea that ever crossed your mind written down somewhere. What is it kept in, a tablet? A journal perhaps?"

The man looked up, and Mercury shook his head in pity as the man spat onto Cinder's face smiling crookedly as bloody saliva crawled down her face. Emerald snarled and made to get up, but Cinder waved her down. Instead she brought her flames across her own face, cleaning the blood off in an instant.

"Again Gerhardt, this time make it more 'persuasive'."

Ice pooled from the Knight's fingertips, as he grabbed the Huntsman's right hand softly watching carefully as the frost spread up the man's arm freezing his veins in a macabre show of beauty. Mercury again felt begrudging respect as the man refused to open his mouth at first, but soon the screaming began.

"This could end very quickly, the journal, tablet. Whatever it is. Do you have it on you? If not where is it kept?"

A harsh barking laugh escaped the Huntsman "It's kept in my house in Kuroyuri, but what does it matter? I've already told Qrow Branwen where to find it."

The atmosphere grew even colder. Mercury saw Gerhardt growling, a frigid miasma pouring from his mouth into the warm Mistralian air.

"Kuroyuri?" said Cinder nodding slowly, "thank you but I think you'll find we'll find it long before that washed up Huntsman does."

She turned away nodding to Gerhardt, who removed the dagger from a pouch strapped across his chest plate. He leaned forward tilting the man's head upward before the dagger shot straight through his eye killing him instantly. The Huntsman's body slumped to the ground in a heap, his red blood watering the rich Mistralian soil.

Cinder sighed wearily "We have quite the task ahead of us. First we find Kuroyuri. Then we go about finding Heather Shields and the other problem Huntsmen and Huntresses."

Her hand suddenly erupted into flame turning Shiro's corpse into naught but ashes, the flame caught part of Gerhardt but Mercury watched with awe as he merely began to glow more with the cracks almost bursting with light under his skin.

"We move now, this will be the last time I clean up after Tyrian and Hazel."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry to be two days late technically even as I upload this at midnight. The power went off so obviously that was a problem. But I've uploaded it now so I hope it wasn't too horrible a wait. A bit of a shortish chapter, only a shade over five thousand six hundred words but its somewhat of an intermediary to begin setting up the second arc of this story. Also what Shiro said was not a mistake in case it wasn't clear, he is trying to throw them off.
> 
> Haven't much else to say. I hope to see you all this Sunday, or knowing me the early hours of Monday morning. Stay safe, and I'll catch you next time.


	18. Chapter 18

"Yang," croaked Ruby weakly, seeing the hazy white walls surrounding her, "Yang where are you?"

"Here Rubes, still here."

Ruby's silver eyes seized on her sister lying weakly, or lazily after all it was Yang, on a bed smiling lopsidedly at her. She waved slowly at Ruby, her grin booming as Ruby waved back.

"What happened?" asked Ruby, trying to get up but finding herself weighed under what felt like a ton of tubes and wires, "Pyrrha and me were fighting the Revenant. It got me, and then I can't remember. Did we get it?"

Yang nodded "Pyrrha killed it, but it was Gerhardt that took it down. I don't know how but Pyrrha got him back up, and then he ran wild or at least that is what Weiss says happened. I was still pretty ruined from Gerhardt throwing me through a window and then throwing a fireball at me. I'll admit, despite nearly killing me that was pretty cool."

Ruby listened to her sister recount more. Of how apparently Gerhardt had eaten the Revenant, but that it was still alive and that Pyrrha put it out of its misery. Its death was the best news Ruby had heard in what felt like years, Jaune had been avenged.

Jaune.

Tears began to wet Ruby's cheeks, and she gripped to covers of the bed feeling her nails tear into the linen.

"Rubes, what's wrong?" said Yang.

"So many people died, and I couldn't do anything."

Yang stared at her sister for a moment before sighing softly.

"Me neither Rubes, me neither. You know I wish I could tell you it's alright, but it's not. It's not going to be alright, it's gonna be tough, it's gonna be scary but I can promise you that we can get through this."

Ruby shook her head firmly, scrunching her eyes in frustration and anguish.

"Did I ever tell you what I was doing that night in Vale? The day you got accepted? When you beat up all those guys who tried to rob a dust store?"

"No," said Ruby softly, "you didn't ever tell me. But what does it matter, those were Torchwick's men. A man I murdered, and for what? To stop the Breach? That didn't work out; I killed him and got nothing for it. Nobody was saved. Jaune died. Yatsuhashi died. Fox died. And that's only the names of people I know. All those women and children and soldiers didn't make it either. All because of me! It should've been me, not them! Not any of them!"

"I was looking for information on my mom, you know? Raven. Damn. She walked out on me and Dad when I was a baby Rubes. For years I've wondered why, why she would be so cruel to us? Was it me? Was it Dad? Or was it her? I don't know, but I know that only she has the answer to that," said Yang, smiling bitterly, "I started looking when I was seven, can you believe that? I mean I couldn't do much in the way of finding things but I'd ask around Patch and one time I thought I'd found something. I waited till Dad left one day, and even though I was meant to be looking after you I wheeled you out through the forest of Patch to find where my mom went."

Ruby blinked as Yang continued with the story completely ignoring what she had just told her.

"Couple of Beowolves found us, I nearly got us killed."

Yang choked in a sob.

"But Uncle Qrow was there, I don't know how and I've never asked why. But he was there. He saved us and brought us home, I should've gotten grounded for years because of what I did but I remember Dad grabbed me and hugged me that night until I fell asleep. I know finding my real mom has been a massive part of my life but I never wanted it to be my whole life. I didn't want it to eat me up whole like those Beowolves would have done me and you."

Silver eyes widened as she saw Yang crying herself, and Ruby for the first time noticed the mess her sister was in. Wrinkles under her eyes, complimented with gaunter cheeks and frayed hair. Her purple irises were all that remained purely Yang.

"So I wrecked the bar when Junior, the barkeep, wouldn't get me what I wanted. Nearly got arrested, that could've stopped me from getting into Beacon. Could've ruined my life. It was the second time I realised I was letting her steer my life even though she had never been it. I was letting her control me. So I stopped again, I backed off. I tried to enjoy myself around Beacon and you know what I was having the time of my life with you, me, Blake and Weiss. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Ruby's heart hurt as she heard everything, but she couldn't drift from her time at Beacon too. The friends she had made. Jaune had been her first, and now he was the first she had ever lost.

"After the Revenant ran you through you were dying Rubes, you were bleeding out in my arms and your Aura was doing nothing. It was horrible, the sound you were making. Like you were trying to speak but the blood wouldn't let you. I begged that bastard Gerhardt to save you, and he did. And despite everything he did, all the lives he ruined I don't care because he saved you."

Yang's hair began to burn.

"Even then, I waited three weeks for you to wake up. Three weeks watching your heart's ripples on that cardiac monitor begging anyone that you wouldn't shrivel up and die. And today you wake up."

Yang's gaze was fiery steel as Ruby flinched away.

"And the first thing we really start to talk about is that you wish you were dead instead. No. No. No. I did not suffer through this for you to be selfish Ruby, there are so many people who wouldn't want you to die and don't you for a second believe Jaune would have preferred you to have died instead. Even Pyrrha wouldn't and she loved him more than anything I've ever seen. You will get through this, and you won't let your guilt eat you up like it wants to. Don't let it steer your life. You're a survivor Ruby. That means you have to keep going."

Despite what Yang was saying, despite the emotion in her sister's words Ruby didn't want to hear it.

"Now get some sleep, you might have had three weeks of it but you still need more I think."

Yang lay down to sleep herself but Ruby's eyes remained wide open.

She could still see him.

His blonde hair, blue eyes and smile. She could hear his laugh, and the worst. The sound.

The iron smell of blood and savage sound of the ripping of flesh as he was killed.

Ruby loved her sister, her Dad and her Uncle. She loved Weiss and she loved Blake. She loved JNPR and she had loved CFVY as well. But she knew, deep down, the truth. Despite all of these people that lover her, and all the people she loved.

She didn't want to be here anymore.

* * *

Gerhardt carefully gripped the snare; clenching it down upon the hare he had caught closing his mouth as its blood splashed on his face sighing at his catch. A single hare would not even feed Mercury and Emerald, he knew from Cinder herself that Aura users had a ferocious appetite. He himself was unsure of what his appetite was; things became hazy when he consumed flesh. But Gerhardt had never felt ravenous, hungry yes, but never to the point of being starved.

Or at least not that he remembered.

Tracking seemed to be one of his strong suits, a skill from another life or perhaps this one but long buried. His memories, as precious as the fire that burned in him, were stolen. Gone, but ironically not forgotten. Gerhardt knew there was more to him, more to this existence. But he would have to wait.

Servitude screamed slavery to many, but to him it was almost freedom. Cinder completed him, not in a romantic or even physical way. It was almost spiritual, a desire to serve made manifest. Something Gerhardt knew was not natural, but he had no desire to change it.

"You could have done that more cleanly, you know?"

Ah, of all the people his Mistress could have sent with him. Why was it Emerald? A sour creature to be sure, full of spite; an admirable loyalty to Cinder was her only redeemable quality to him at the moment. Gerhardt felt he could get along with her, and he made invitations to her to kindle a friendship constantly, but he was rebuked by her icy demeanour towards him.

A great envy as green as her own hair dwelled within Emerald, and Gerhardt knew that as long as he held favour that leviathan would do nothing but grow without ceasing. It was a miracle that it didn't control her any more than it did right now.

He wished Emerald would understand.

Gerhardt did not share the relationship with Cinder that even Mercury did, never mind Emerald. He was not a confidant, ally or even a minion. He was a tool, a sword and shield to be used. He killed and saved at her pleasure. He was nothing more. What Cinder told him he would listen to, what Cinder had started he would finish, what Cinder hadn't done he would do. But he dared not overstep his boundaries and presume friendliness with her. The vague shadow of the crowned man of a frozen city whispered at him not too.

Knights are servants. Not slaves though, Gerhardt was no slave. He knew it in his bones.

"I will try to do so next time," said Gerhardt simply, placing the hare in the small bag he had strapped around his waist.

Emerald's red eyes brazenly glared at him, but Gerhardt chose to break the staring contest and move on. Mistral was a bountiful land, and while they were at the very least a hundred kilometres from the nearest human settlement Grimm were scarce and food was plentiful.

Hundreds of miles from anyone human other than those with him already.

And yet Gerhardt smelled a familiar but tantalisingly foreign stench, human undoubtedly lacking the musk that most faunus carried, but camouflaged almost. Whoever it was did not want to be detected. He had warned Cinder days ago, but their stalker had yet to reveal themselves and to Gerhardt's surprise and frustration whoever they were was skilled beyond belief in hiding themselves. He had almost caught them twice, and each time he only found footprints that suddenly led nowhere.

Gerhardt's ear perked slightly, as he heard a familiar bestial call.

"A doe moves, alongside its fawn I would wager. Either will suit us well."

Emerald shook her head, muttering about his 'animalistic' tendencies before following swiftly. Mistralian forests were undoubtedly dense, not at all like Vale's woodlands because of the heat and green shrubbery which contrasted the honestly quite murky and brown forests of Vale. Forever Fall was the exception, but then again she had yet to see something as beautiful as that forest in any kingdom.

Her eyes narrowed as she saw the Outrider begin the transition he always did, he would sprint like any man or woman his arms swinging and his legs pounding but he then began to hunch and his arms hung loosely. Then it happened, he fell to all fours and ran like a Beowolf that smelled blood. It was funny almost to describe, the idea of a man clad in plate armour running on all fours like some dog. But, it was not the case when you actually saw it.

It was uncanny verging on disturbing.

Gerhardt was not human, Emerald knew that the moment she first saw him do that for the first time. Every step he had taken since then confirmed it. Even Mercury looked irked when the Knight did it, but not Cinder. Cinder smiled, it was why she was the leader.

Shiro Wan's body had been disposed of by Gerhardt, but when Mercury and her had taken a walk they had found it. Or what remained of it. Chunks devoured, bones cracked and the marrow gone from them. Cinder had ordered Gerhardt to make it look like a Grimm had done it.

Emerald shuddered again, just as she had done when she had realised what he had done days ago. Gerhardt was exceedingly mild-mannered and professional, but every once in a while there was a 'shift' where he bared his teeth and claws so to speak. Cinder was the only one that brought him back from that, and the Knight acted as if nothing had occurred.

It terrified her. Because Emerald knew that when the Knight looked her when he was in that state. It wasn't as friend, foe or even an outsider.

It was as flesh. Meat. Prey.

She just hoped that Cinder kept the collar on him tight.

The Outrider ripped through brambles, bushes and branches. He could smell the blood of the doe. It was what? A few hundred metres away? If that? The blood annoyed him; it was very possible that a bear or some other predator would have to be dealt with.

Gerhardt burst into the clearing. Before him lay the doe. It was ruined, crippled in a bed of leaves coating everything in a crimson ichor as its last moments ebbed by. The fawn had obviously run, and there wasn't a buck in sight. His prey was there ready to be killed.

Gerhardt instantly got up from his hands ripping out his sword, instead of his dagger. His bestial form retreating in favour of a more knightly figure, putting on his helmet and brandishing the longsword in both hands.

"What are you doing?" asked Emerald sourly, "put it out of its misery so we can get out of this damn forest and back to the camp."

The Knight raised his left hand before clenching it, causing Emerald to instantly withdraw her own weapons scanning the area.

"Not a predator in sight, but yet a dying deer lies before us with wounds on it. Stab wounds, like those of a knife or sword rather than that of any animal. We are not alone."

The frosty eyes raked through the scenery, noticing markings on a tree from a bear obviously staking its claim to the area. Crumpled shrubbery trodden upon by the doe and its fawn mere moments ago. He felt the wind push across his cheek as he saw the branches of the mighty tree above him blow in the breath of nature while once stood tall and firm resisting.

Resist, it barely moved at all.

Gerhardt instantly grabbed the Atlesian rifle strapped to his side, and let loose on the branch watching the high-powered dust rounds tear through the wood and the glistening barrier of Aura that sprang to its user's rescue.

The multi-coloured girl dropped down, and from her side blossomed an umbrella that deflected the rest of Gerhardt's magazine. He reloaded rapidly, noting that he had but three magazines left with some irritation. He had yet to come upon more in his travels. He strapped the rifle to his thigh, ripping out the longsword again.

"Who are you? What business have you? Speak!" asked Gerhardt, inching towards the girl slowly.

Emerald blinked in surprise "Neopolitan, what are you doing here?"

There was the faintest nod towards Emerald, before Neo sprang forward towards Gerhardt as if she was a spring. Her lithe form and small stature complimented her speed greatly; the Outrider felt as if he could tear her in half with a single swing. But that swing never seemed to come.

Emerald watched with interest as the two fought, with Neo peppering Gerhardt's joints with her rapier as she parried or deflected. Finesse and brutality clashing together. Not all like Gerhardt had been when Cinder had first tasked Mercury and her to watch the fighter. He was physically stronger than ever before, and the abilities he had were hard to believe.

But his skill suffered.

Gerhardt had regressed to rank amateur at sword fighting and it showed.

Neo slid under an overhead cleave, smiling as her opponent's blue eyes glared at her from his helmet. She nicked at his ankles watching as some blood spilled, followed by a trail of a frozen bluish substance. She didn't know what it was, but the Knight seemed hurt all the same. So what did it really matter?

She bounded back carefully in front of the tree she had been hiding upon earlier. Getting caught was not her intent, indeed she had planned on approaching Cinder for aid, but that plan had been axed the moment she laid eyes on the Knight. Neo had been watching and waiting for an attempt at the Knight the moment that his presence was noted. The man that had taken Roman's arm. Once she killed him, it would be that red-haired bitch.

Gerhardt roared, his cape beginning to twirl as if it were alive. Ashes began to billow from him, before the longsword began to glow red hot as if the blade were molten rock rather than hardened steel. Gerhardt charged forward, his blade screaming towards Neo's heart. She had a look of fear for a second, watching the slower fighter suddenly pick up a massive bound of speed. Gerhardt's licked his lips as he saw the blade growing closer. Milliseconds were all she had left, if that.

Neo smirked, and Gerhardt's eyes widened.

She dodged right at the very last moment, the sword nicking her jacket causing it to smoulder a tad but nothing else. Instead of finding flesh as he had wanted to Gerhardt met only bark. His sword dug into the tree exploding out the other side, but as he tried to pull it back to resume his offense he felt the tree's innards held it deathly still.

The cur, she had tricked him into getting his sword stuck.

Then it began. The cuts and stabs everywhere. Gerhardt let go of the sword for a moment trying to swipe at her, but she was far too fast. Beyond even what he had seen of other huntsman. It was as if she teleported, rather than moved. A very real possibility considering semblances' powers.

Gerhardt fell to his knees, feebly gripping on to his sword. A drop of blood was all he needed, and he would be reborn with ferocity and fire. But try as he might, he couldn't even leave a scratch on her.

Neo mockingly rang the parasol across the Knight's helmet seeing him flinch in pain before raising the rapier for the finishing blow.

"This is for Roman."

Her whisper and justice were both cut off by a spray of dust rounds at her. Neo's eyes narrowed, watching Emerald twirling her weapons with a bored expression.

Emerald sighed "I really want to let that happen, but I can't. Besides you wouldn't have killed him anyways."

The assassin cocked her head, before turning to see the Knight getting to his legs again. He looked at her for a moment before, kicking her away in a sudden burst of speed. Neo rolled, breaking her fall but she noticed the dark fog that absolutely pooled from him. With one hand on the blade, still embedded in the tree, he turned to face her.

The bark crumbled as the tree exploded with the blade being ripped out of it at break neck speeds. Neo watched the Knight run forward, his blue eyes having faded into a bright red that burned at her. He leapt into the air, Neo readied herself to roll out of the way, but instead of sword slam or thrust into the ground he all but flew towards her spinning his sword to cover a two-hundred seventy degree arc. Neo just about ducked under it, and brought forward her rapier to stab at him again. The black cape wrapped after him, and Neo's rapier melted as it touched the cloth.

She instantly threw the blade to the side, watching it liquefy horribly on the ground corroding into the grass. She readied her semblance, preparing to make a get-away. Neo began to shatter, but a metal gauntlet wrapped around her throat. She slammed into the ground, as the Outrider ploughed her body through the dirt. The Knight's crimson red eyes watched her, and as she tried to move only grinded her further into the soil. The sword raised over his shoulder and Neo closer her eyes.

This was it. Really? So much for revenge.

"Stop Gerhardt."

A harsh breath escaped the Knight as he turned to Emerald, who warily kept her grip on her own weapons. This was different to the state he went in from time to time, he was bestial but not quite so extreme as what Cinder calmed him from. And instead of the frost and the bluish mist that trailed from him, a dark miasma seeped from everywhere. Emerald was nervous, but she held her ground.

There was silence.

Gerhardt's eyes faded back to their paler blue colour, grabbing his sword and sheathing it. He grabbed Neo, but this time by her arm and dragged her out of her near-grave letting her go once she was on her two feet.

"Cinder will want to speak with her; she is a friend of ours."

Neo nodded thankfully to Emerald, before bending over to pick up the ruined and corroded remains of her ruined rapier with some distaste sheathing it back inside her parasol. She went to Emerald's side, watching as the Knight went over to the doe she had killed and lifted it onto his shoulder carrying it.

Emerald leaned down to whisper as they walked "I know you don't talk much, if at all, so we keep this brief. As far as Gerhardt back there knows, we aren't talking."

Neo looked back, and saw Gerhardt carrying the deer while looking at his feet. Sure enough, Emerald's eyes were shining bright. Neo knew vaguely how the girl's semblance worked. An illusionist like herself, but a tad more limited in scope while more powerful in execution.

"Gerhardt can't remember anything before us, and he can't be allowed to. He can't know about Torchwick, he can't know the details of the life he had before us. Do you get me? Cinder was very clear on that. He is loyal to her now; if he remembers any of that life from before, he might just kill us. Cinder could take him down, but Mercury and I can't. Cinder could explain more, but for now? Not another word, ok?"

The multi-coloured eyes narrowed, as Neo weighed her options carefully. The Knight had crippled Roman, torn his arm off for fun, left him in the state where he couldn't even fight off his killer.

Ruby Rose.

Neo nodded softly, watching Emerald smile thinly in gratitude as they moved onwards into the forest. Neopolitan had never been one to let bygones be bygones. But in this instance she would keep her mouth shut, well shutter than usual, and play it by ear. If Cinder could give her Ruby Rose's head on the platter she would do much worse than associate with the Knight.

Indeed it would be ironic if she could get the Knight, who was so friendly with Ruby Rose, to help her kill that silver-eyed brat. Revenge was sweet, and apparently a dish best served cold. A former friend would be a choice desert for Ruby Rose, and if his amnesia was genuine one that Neo would be all too happy to serve.

It was interesting though, she had been tracking them for days watching the Knight from afar. Skills she had picked up from the tribe, from Raven. Neo was an illusionist by birth and trade, the idea of others seeing thing she wanted them to see. But she had always been capable of seeing things beyond what others saw. It was a skill that Raven discovered and honed, Roman had never seen the use of it.

The Knight reeked of death and life, like a being that teased the edge between both worlds.

Neo was really not certain how she felt about that. But she did know that she would be keeping her eyes on him.

* * *

"Mr Branwen!"

"Look, I don't care who you are or what you want but I really don't have time right now. Ok? Bother someone else," said Qrow sullenly, making his way to the hospital to visit his nieces. In all the commotion he hadn't found the time, Tai would kick his ass if he didn't make an effort.

The woman kept pushing "I'm from Beacon."

"Yeah so was I at some point, don't care. Go away."

"It's about Merlot!"

Qrow stopped, sighing deeply in frustration. Can't a man get a break?

"Alright, five minutes. What do you know about Dr Merlot?"

The woman straightened herself "Thank you my name is Professor Peach and-"

The Huntsman pressed his finger to her lips "See you are opening your mouth but nothing I want to hear is coming out. Start talking about Merlot, or I'm leaving now. I'll say it again, what do you know about Doctor Merlot?"

"The usual! Doctor Merlot was the founder of Merlot Industries, the research and development corporation based in Mountain Glenn," said Peach quickly rambling her knowledge off, "Brilliant but insane, Merlot developed an unhealthy obsession towards the creatures of Grimm, believing them to be a 'superior species'.

Qrow nodded "That's more than the usual to be honest, but I'll take it. Merlot's dead, he died when his experiments came back to bite him as Mountain Glenn fell. Story's over."

"No he didn't or at least I don't think he did," shouted Peach excitedly.

Qrow blinked, before nodding his head slowly.

"Alright, convince me."

Peach smiled "Well you see, I was doing a botanical expedition to Mountain Glenn for the lesser spotted…"

Qrow's expression was anything but amused so Peach cut herself short.

"Anyways this was after the Breach, a personal expedition of my own to get my mind of all the death and destruction. I lost too many students."

Qrow sympathised with her on that account, even one was too much and looking back at it losings only one student would have been in the realms of impossibility.

"But while I was there I saw robots. Nothing like Atlesian technology and indeed not like Merlot's own but who else could it be? They were odd, almost ancient looking, wielding shields and spears or swords walking alongside others which looked more typically like Merlot's own with rifles and even I think pulse cannon. An array of confusing automatons. Indeed there was even an obese one with wings. It was all quite bemusing."

"I'll check it out. Now if that's all, I gotta go."

"But I-"

"I said I'll check it out!" hissed Qrow, "if you want to be helpful go tell Glynda word for word what you just told me. She'll want to hear this."

Peach scurried off, while Qrow took another swig of his flask sighing in frustration. First the rogue maiden; the prospect of having to go find Oz, or at least putting himself in a situation where he could be found by him, the Knight and now Dr Merlot back from the dead. The scourge of Mountain Glenn, the man behind Vale's greatest tragedy but then again very few knew that. After all Ozpin had at one point confided in Merlot, he was close to being part of the inner circle. If that came back to the big man, it would be inconvenient.

Merlot's death was about the only positive thing to come from the fall of Mountain Glenn and yet fate seemed to be taking the opportunity to spit in his face once again.

This was not funny if it was some cruel joke by a higher power.

Worse still Qrow knew for a fact that getting fully trained huntsman and huntresses to investigate would be like smacking his head off the wall. The Council had their hands full cleaning up the breach with what available Huntsmen and Huntresses they had. Glynda was alright working overtime to get things up and running in Beacon and juggle the Council's demands alongside the reality of dealing with the Breach and Beacon.

And Atlas?

Jimmy would sooner glass Mountain Glenn than actually check it out.

It was times like these Qrow admired what Atlas did to their Huntsman, enlisting them in the army. Keeping them close. He understood why Oz believed Huntsman should serve all of Remnant but the Breach proved the flaw with that.

Only half of the Huntsman called back responded.

A lot of gratitude for the Kingdom that raised them and made them into what they were.

Qrow murmured to himself in some thought before nodding slowly. He didn't necessarily need Huntsmen and Huntresses. Huntsmen and Huntresses-in-training would do. A part of him screamed at him for even considering such a move, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

RWBY was a no go, not because of his nieces but because they were injured.

But what about that other team, the one with the Mistralian champion on it? JMPR? JNDR? JNPR?

That last one sounded right.

Qrow hoped Glynda would approve considering the situation, her legendary desire to protect her students aside, because JNPR was needed right now and was the only team he could think of that was available and capable of dealing with the whole mess. Second to fourth years were on clean-up duty, and with Pyrrha Nikos on the team they were certainly a power-house.

He just hoped that it was some activated robots running still even after all these years.

Merlot.

In a world where a being like Salem a creature of utter darkness existed, it was hard to believe you could be worse than that.

But Merlot?

Merlot made Qrow question the validity of that statement.

He really hoped the bastard was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys not much to say. It's another standard chapter still setting up the next arc, which will be somewhat of a dual plot-line but I shan't spoil anything. As always review if you feel like it, but no pressure. PMs are always welcome if you have questions that I can answer without spoiling the story. I'll be updating next Sunday as usual unless it all goes horribly wrong.
> 
> I hope you guys are having a wonderful summer, although we are reaching its twilight. Stay safe, and I'll catch you next time.


	19. Chapter 19

Pyrrha blinked in equal parts surprise and anger.

"You want us to go an investigate Mountain Glenn?"

Qrow winced as he knew what was coming "Yeah, I do. Gly- Headmistress Goodwitch has given me the go ahead to ask. We can't spare any other Huntsmen and Huntresses and you guys are the only ones in training tough enough to get in there and get out in one piece."

"Mr Branwen," said Pyrrha suddenly her eyes resting on her lap.

"Qrow'll do."

"Qrow, what led you to the conclusion we were the strongest first years?"

The Huntsman took a swig of his flask "I asked around before the Breach. It started with you of course the champion Mistralian fighter. But there is more. I asked about Nora Valkyrie and heard of a juggernaut with a hammer and about Lie Ren who was precise and deadly like a viper. For first years you are all really strong."

"What about Jaune?"

"Supposedly Jaune Arc is not particularly tough, but is one of the best tacticians and leaders in Beacon. For his age that is really impressive."

Pyrrha smiled bitterly and looked Qrow in the eye trying to study the truth of his words. She saw a grizzled man, one who had seen things and done things. But she saw he was being genuine. And that hurt more.

"We can't go," said Pyrrha choking on her words, "we're one short."

Qrow frowned "One short? I asked the Hospital. They said all the JNPR members will be out within the week."

"Jaune's dead," said Pyrrha simply.

Silence.

Qrow's eyes softened. That… he hadn't known that. It was another oversight by him, another example of him acting without thinking. He'd caused the whole episode with the Knight because he couldn't think. He let emotions rule him, and now he was forcing a child to relieve her experiences with a fallen comrade all because he couldn't think and ask around before going to them.

"I can't say anything that will make this feel better," said Qrow softly letting his hand rest on her shoulder, "I lost a teammate too. A long time ago."

"I loved him."

Pyrrha began to sob.

Qrow smiled sadly "Hell of a coincidence. It was the same with me. That pain you feel, it will never go away. It will be here a week from now and a decade later that pain will still be going strong. So I can't promise you that it will leave. What I can promise you is that it will become far less painful with time, to the point where you won't feel it unless you think about it."

Pyrrha wiped her tears, but her reddened eyes still remained. She had so many questions, why did they need JNPR? Had they not suffered enough? Could they not send others? Jaune had already died, where they not satisfied until Ren and Nora went too? But Pyrrha was curious and that pain she felt? She would take any opportunity to distract it for even a moment.

"Your teammate, who were they?"

The Huntsman darkly looked at Pyrrha, and for a moment she felt fear. She knew she had overstepped a boundary, but her determination to see it through was rewarded with a sigh and an outstretched hand.

"Oh what the hell? Not a word of this leaves the room kid, or I promise you will regret it. It's the same deal for you about Jaune."

Pyrrha gripped his hand and shook it firmly "Fine."

"There were four of us. Team STRQ. That stands for Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven Branwen and myself Qrow Branwen. And yes that Summer Rose and that Taiyang Xia Long. I would guess Yang and Ruby haven't told you much about their parents, and to be honest I am not in the business of doing that for them. But there was a time before them, so I'll tell you about that."

Qrow took a swig of his flask sullenly.

"My sister and I, we came from a tribe as it was. It was full of murderers and thieves, but it took me going here to Beacon to realise that. They believed in survival of the fittest, and so did I for a time. I might not look or sound it but I am Mistralian myself, originally, but I made my home in Vale and I suppose it's been like that for me ever since. The Tribe wanted me and my sister to learn all there was about Huntsmen and Huntresses, they regularly stopped us at the time. If it all went according to plan we would come back to them stronger and smarter. Assholes."

Another swig.

"STRQ took me out of that for a while, and hell even my sister for a bit. Taiyang was my best friend; we were like two peas in a pod or whatever dumb expression you want to call it. We were tight. Brothers. And Summer? I started out thinking of her as a friend, but at some point I began to love her and Taiyang fell in love with my sister. Believe that? It should have been perfect but these things rarely are Raven and Tai… they fell out. She left, and then not even a year later he got with Summer as well. I never held it against them, it wasn't my right to. She loved and he loved her. That was all that mattered and I was happy for them. We still did missions together and she was still one of my best friends."

This time, Pyrrha noticed he did not take a swig.

"She died while on a mission. That affected Ruby a lot, and I am sure someday she would talk to you about it. But for me, it was numbing you know? Like what do I do now? Only woman I ever loved dead, my best friend a wreck with two daughters to raise and my sister out murdering and pillaging Mistral with a tribe of rapists, thieves and killers. So I suppose I didn't deal with it that well, just pushed it down and got on with my life. I still feel that pain kid, and it never goes away. But I promise you it will get better."

Pyrrha nodded. It hurt to think about, but that did not detract from the situation at present. She wanted to ask him more, to find out how to make it go more quickly but she was in charge of JNPR now that Jaune was gone. Pyrrha had to make the tough decisions. She had to look out for the three people left of JNPR because when it came down to it she couldn't trust anyone else to do it. Pyrrha didn't want to flat out refuse Qrow, but if she could get her way out of it with other means then she would. Nora and Ren would be safe with her.

"With only three of us I don't know if we can do what you want us to. We're stagnant without Jaune, as unflexible as the Daru of Mistral," said Pyrrha.

An archaic reference to be sure, the old tribal cultures of Mistral had carved trees into the shape of men for longer than anyone could remember. Some survived even to this day; they were regarded as protectors of the community in most of the Kingdom. Some were seen as harbingers of bad luck, but that was rare. The Daru had significance in sayings, someone who was staunch and unyielding in their beliefs would be compared to a Daru but at the same time someone who could not bend to fit a situation was also compared to a Daru. The reverence shown towards them was mostly a thing in the country-side, but Pyrrha was more than familiar with it. Judging by the expression on the Huntsman's face, so was he.

Qrow sighed "That is true. The three of you are probably tougher than most four man teams in your year, but four people are better than three. I know it seems like I don't care, but I do. I won't send you in there unless I have some assurance you guys can do it."

A knock on the door startled Pyrrha. She looked to Qrow but he waved her off and went to get it. The person who stood behind it shocked her even more.

"Uh sorry to intrude, you're not busy are you Pyrrha?" asked Velvet softly, holding a white sheet of paper in her hands nervously.

Pyrrha looked at Qrow who shrugged his shoulders.

"Um, no. I don't think so. What is it Velvet?"

Velvet cleared her throat awkwardly, before thrusting the white piece of paper into the Mistralian's hands "I have been reassigned to your team because of what happened to CFVY and my partner. Headmistress Goodwitch explains it all in that letter. I look forward to working with you."

Pyrrha smiled thinly at Velvet before reading the letter. It was as the faunus said, Miss Goodwitch had seen fit to fill in Jaune's place already. She hadn't even asked. It had been a few weeks, and she was already pushing him down and acting like he had never been there. That. That was not something Pyrrha would abide, even if she had no choice in the matter right now. Worse yet, Goodwitch was ordering her to go on this mission with Velvet. It hurt her to know that Miss Goodwitch wasn't giving her a choice, while Qrow had been willing to.

"Well, I guess there's your forth person," said Qrow sighing. He took a swig "They always say a bit of struggle helps people get to know each other."

There was a pregnant silence as Pyrrha stared at the paper.

"Look I know I said I need you to go and I know Glynda is probably putting pressure on you to go but ultimately it's your choice kid. Do not go unless your heart's in it."

Pyrrha scrunched up the ball of paper. She desperately wanted to say no, to tell Velvet to go somewhere else, to shout at Qrow for giving her a tough decision and to hit Goodwitch for making that decision for her. But she couldn't and wouldn't. Because she knew that, deep down, the choice had never been there.

Jaune had already made it for her.

"When do we leave?"

* * *

 "We're supposed to just, go back to normal?" asked Blake weakly, no longer bed-ridden but still far from full-strength. It was good to be back in Beacon, but she still wasn't absolutely tip top. The last time she had been so roughed up was when she had still been with the White Fang.

With Adam.

Yang smirked slightly "Hey I thought you and Weiss were both academics. Real geniuses. What are you scared of going back to writing about the Grimm instead of punching them?"

Blake knew that Yang was just lightening the mood, and she appreciated it. It was far too easy for people to get weighed down by sadness and anger, considering it stuck to one like an anchor to a ship. It was hard to believe, those emotions that made one a person be they human or faunus were also the very same things that drew the Grimm in. Her mother had always thought it interesting, while her Father shushed such thoughts whenever they came up. The White Fang had required leading then.

"You know, I for one am not that unhappy about going back to Beacon," said Weiss nodding with conviction, "we need a bit of normalcy. Now more than ever. The last couple of weeks have been tough, and if I'm quite honest well beyond what a Huntsman or Huntress in training should be expected to do. Maybe for once we should let our elders take care of things."

Yang leaned back in her bed "Now I can get behind that! What about you Blake? We can go back to you studying for Oobleck's class and me cramming it all in five minutes before the test. Then we go out and hit the town afterwards to celebrate!"

A ghost of a smile grace Blake's face.

"Everytime we celebrated you doing that test you got a D or an F because you didn't want to study."

"Absolutely not true!" said Yang proudly, "got a C once thank you very much!"

Weiss giggled quietly, and before Blake knew it she and Yang had joined in. The laughter went on for a few moments, but none of them really wanted to address the goliath in the room.

Ruby wasn't laughing.

Ruby wasn't smiling.

Ruby wasn't talking.

Ruby wasn't Ruby.

Yang had tried to hide it at first, but hiding something like this was like trying to hide the sun not coming out. The Breach had changed Ruby, Blake knew it would have. She had been there when she saw her leader take a life, and regardless of everything they were told and believed it was not easy to do that at any age never mind fifteen. But this, this wasn't over Roman. At least not completely. Yang hadn't said anything, but Blake could tell. She was perceptive, something that her mom had passed on to her.

It was more than Torchwick. This was over Jaune, this was over Yatsuhashi and Fox. This was over Gerhardt.

Ruby didn't deserve to feel the way she probably felt now. Useless. Stupid. Weak. She wasn't, Blake knew she wasn't. The truth was that it was Blake's fault not her. She had started this entire mess the moment she had decided to get re-involved with the White Fang; she couldn't have let bygones be bygones. Because the moment she did that, the moment she decided to stick her hands back into that world it grabbed on to her. And her team too.

If she hadn't gotten them involved, if she hadn't gotten involved herself, it was likely someone else would have gone to Mountain Glenn instead. It was likely someone else would have tried to stop the Breach; maybe someone else would have killed Roman Torchwick. But it wasn't someone else. It was Ruby Rose.

Lovable, sweet, idealistic, loyal Ruby Rose.

She just had her entire world shattered before her like a snow globe. Blake knew that she had, it was obvious at some point it was going to happen. Blake had chosen to become a Huntress herself, but she didn't enter with this delusion that the others had. That this was a bloodless profession and that the only thing she would be killing would be Grimm.

If there was one thing that the White Fang was right about it was that death was a means to an end. Killing someone like Torchwick earlier would have saved thousands, and she knew that if a seasoned Huntsman or Huntress like Ruby's uncle had the chance to take him out early then there would have been no second thoughts.

But that, that was the product of years of training and years of experience. And ultimately it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

Taking a life was hard up close, Blake knew that. She'd left the White Fang rather than stomach it even if she had killed from afar. Blake had hoped that part of her life would never resurface. A foolish desire.

Ruby had found out, Ruby found out when Roman told her about it. A selfish part of Blake wanted to demand Ruby's silence, to stop her from ever breathing a word to Yang or Weiss. Because that would confirm every stereotype that people had about her time in the White Fang. Blake had escaped scot free so far, was it wrong to want that to continue?

But Ruby?

She hadn't escaped; she was trapped by what she had done. Or perhaps by what she hadn't.

And despite everything that happened, despite all the killing and suffering and destruction and death.

Miss Goodwitch wanted all to return to normal.

Blake wanted nothing more than to do as she said. So did Yang. So did Weiss. So did Ruby.

But Ruby couldn't.

And Blake knew she had to try and help.

"I say we go out to celebrate," said Yang her enthusiasm and cheer infectious, but clearly exaggerated. Her eyes drifted towards Ruby whose morose expression did everything but lighten.

Blake smiled "How about you and Weiss go to that coffee shop, you know the one. With the dog faunus waiter? It's not too far, and even with all the clean-up I know Miss Goodwitch still has some Bullheads to take us to and from. Ruby and I will catch up later."

There was silence for a moment, as Blake's yellow eyes begged Yang's lilac ones. Weiss stared patiently, waiting for Yang to make a call. The moment stretched into what felt like hours, as Blake hoped that that overprotective streak in Yang would die for just a second. To allow her to do something good for once.

Yang's eyebrows furrowed as her forehead creased.

And then it stopped, as she sighed and nodded with a smile.

"Sure, but don't keep us too long. Ok?"

There was a strain on that last word, and Blake knew what it meant. Yang was her best friend, and she was confident she was Yang's. But this was family, and Blake knew she had one chance here. It didn't have to be extreme, but an improvement had to be made.

"We will see you two soon," said Weiss getting up and following Yang without issue out the door leaving the dorm room solely to Blake and Ruby who stared at her suspiciously.

"So Ruby-"

"I'm not dumb Blake, and I know exactly what you're trying to do here. Don't waste your time, go and catch up with Weiss and Yang. They aren't too far away."

"Nope."

Ruby's eyes widened slightly "What?"

"Nope."

"You do know I could order you," said Ruby softly, "I could make you leave me alone."

Blake walked across the room to the other bunk bed and sat beside Ruby putting her hand upon Ruby's and clenching it tightly.

"You could, but I wouldn't listen. Ruby, I am going to be honest with you and you are going to be honest with me. How are you feeling?"

Ruby's silver eyes first looked at the ceiling, and then at her own lap. Anywhere but Blake's own. But after a minute of silence and searching, Ruby finally looked Blake in the eye.

"Not good Blake."

A tear fell.

"Not good."

Blake grabbed Ruby and pulled her into a hug resting the younger girl's head on her shoulder. She could feel Ruby crying into the fabric of her clothes, but Blake really couldn't care. Yang couldn't do this, and Weiss couldn't do this for one reason and one reason only. They hadn't been there when the Breach started. They hadn't been there to see what started all this off.

"Talk to me Ruby," said Blake softly, her intent clear. Not a word of this left the room.

"I screwed up with Torchwick. I told Yang, but she doesn't get it. I killed someone, and I feel horrible about it. But worst of all, if I was braver and had just killed him faster so many other people wouldn't have died. I let him blow open a gate for the Revenant. I let thousands of people die."

Blake continued to listen.

"And you know what the worst thing was, I felt bad for myself but I didn't feel a thing for anyone else. Not until later. I felt bad that I had killed Torchwick. Then I saw what happened to Jaune and Yatsuhashi and Fox. And I realised what I had done, what me being a coward had done. I see them, all of them, in my dreams. I can't sleep without them looking at me. Asking me? Why? Why did I hesitate? Why did I try and talk him down? Why did I kill them?

"You didn't Ruby," said Blake whispering into Ruby's hair as she stroked it, "You didn't. You did what you thought was right. You gave Roman a chance. That takes a brave person to do. A mature person. Do you think that the Revenant wouldn't have found another way if the train hadn't blown open that hole? You're smart. Of course it would've. It might even have done it at the same day; it had the power to bend weather to its will. And its pets could fire lasers among other things. The Breach would have happened anyway. What you did Ruby, was give someone a chance even though most people would say he deserved none."

Ruby shook her head, but Blake pressed on.

"Those things he said about me on the train, they're true you know? I did kill people, whether I liked it or not. I planted bombs. Back then we sent warnings, but sometimes they got there late and people got hurt. People got killed. I remember the first time it happened I couldn't sleep. Adam helped me through it, and before you knew it I just didn't think about it at all. They were always 'accidents'. It was when Adam decided that we had to directly target humans to make a message that I couldn't do it anymore. But looking back on it, all Adam was doing was telling the White Fang to stop lying to itself. Telling me to stop lying to myself. And I wanted the lie to go on."

Ruby listened. It was hard to believe it honestly, the thought had been far from her head. So much had happened she had nearly forgotten what Roman had said about Blake. The fact that she was admitting it was true to her told Ruby that Blake trusted her a lot. Ruby knew she didn't deserve that trust.

"I can put it behind me, but the truth is it will never go away. I killed people Ruby. I killed people. Some bad people sure, but lots were bystanders. Innocents. I never meant to do it, but it happened and nothing can ever change that. Ruby, you killed a single person to try and save thousands and before that you tried to give him a chance. That is a good act no matter how you try and twist it. You didn't kill Jaune. The Revenant did. You didn't kill Yatsuhashi and Fox, Gerhardt did. You have to stop this. You are your own person; Ruby Rose is not responsible for other people's actions no matter how much you might like to be."

"But Blake," said Ruby her tears having dried into a red circle around her eyes, "how can I go on when they didn't? Fox, Yatsuhashi and Jaune all had a right to live. How come I'm still here? How come they aren't?"

"There is no easy answer to that Ruby. Luck, chance, fate, happenstance? The truth is life doesn't care who you think deserved to live and die, and Gerhardt and the Revenant didn't either. But I care. I care about you, I care about Yang and I care about Weiss. I cared about Jaune, I cared about Yatsuhashi and I cared about Fox. Nevertheless that doesn't change anything, you're here and they aren't. So what we need to do is work through it and make sure their sacrifices aren't meaningless."

"Sacrifice?" asked Ruby her voice raw and filled with anger, "maybe Jaune but what did Fox and Yatsuhashi sacrifice themselves for huh?"

"Do you think they fought Gerhardt just because Ruby? Do you think they couldn't have just walked away? They fought him because he killed innocent people, and he could have killed again," said Blake cupping Ruby's cheek and staring her in the eye, "It's very possible that the fact that they kept him busy there long enough kept him around to fight the Revenant saving even more people. It's very possible they stopped him from killing more soldiers, or walking finding his way into a shelter and slaughtering civilians. Sometimes people die for something even when they don't realise it. Your entire life can be building up to an event you will never live to see. You can call that fate, or whatever. But I call it reality. It's up to you now to honour that sacrifice that Fox and Yatsuhashi made. That Jaune made. To make sure that their legacy doesn't just scatter like ashes into the wind."

Suddenly all of the tension drained as Ruby nodded collapsing onto Blake's shoulder again. She sobbed once more dryly with her tears having run out "I know, but it's so hard."

Blake smiled hugging her tighter "Yeah it is, it might be the hardest thing you'll ever do. But things that are worth it are never easy, as cliché as it sounds. So here's what's going to happen. We are going to go catch a Bullhead and go down to that coffee shop. We are going to be kids. We are going to forget about this for a while."

"Ok… I'll try Blake."

Ruby felt herself pulled up, as Blake gripped her hand tightly.

"I guarantee you tomorrow you'll feel the same as you did before we talked. These things aren't magic and don't go away easily. But you talk to me, or you talk to Weiss or you talk to Yang. None of us are going to let you suffer in silence. We're team RWBY. We're friends. Friends don't leave each other behind."

Blake led Ruby out of the dorm, she felt as if she had done some good. But she knew that look in Ruby's eyes; one conversation didn't heal a person. Blake could only hope that many more would, before Ruby broke.

Permanently.

* * *

 "Why are you doing this?"

The spiked mace crushed the tiling beneath them, mere inches from the man's hand. The yelp that escaped his mouth was met with a chortle from his tormentor whose voice was unnatural even at its very core.

"Poor child, is your memory that poor? Is it so that your village, and the countryside that surrounds it, is so impossibly stupid?"

Tears of blood swept across the ground as the Village Elder straightened his head from fear and rage "You told us you wanted something! You kill my people for not knowing the answer! I ask you again. Why are you doing this? We don't have the answer!"

The woman leaned down, her imposing size blocking everything from sight, a motherly coo left her lips but her sordid and unpleasant grin did nothing to comfort him.

"That is true. My companions and I are of a… 'sceptical' sort. The people of this sleepy little town are not very convincing. But I feel you may be more pliant if we offer visual stimuli. Come with me child."

The woman grabbed the Elder by his neck, dragging him like a ragdoll outside of his home. He looked at the burning buildings and crushed corpses littering the streets covered with tears, stabs and smouldering scars. Horror the likes he had never seen in his eighty years of life, not even from the Grimm. To know that such evil could come from other people chilled him to his bones.

A rank smell assaulted him, but as he drew closer he realised what it was. Flesh. A most sickly smell when burning, he wished it was that of some fool who might have burned himself over a fire. But it was not. To see more of the town's inhabitants, his brothers and sisters and his sons and daughters, burning over a pyre of a blackened orange flame made him lose what little left he had in him vomiting on to the ground.

"Oh dear, sick are we? Or perhaps a weak stomach hmm? Do not worry, we shall fix you up nice and quick once we get past these pleasantries," said the woman laughing slightly as her heavy footsteps and the clanking of her great mace echoed across the town of the dead and dying.

The Elder's eyes strained as he was unceremoniously tossed to the hard ground kicking up a mixture of dust and ash. The woman chortled amongst her apology, and he saw the figures before him.

A man clad in armour, so impossibly tall that he could not be human. He was as tall as the village Daru. Despite an open helm, an all-devouring blackness obscured anything that could even suggest a human within it. Perhaps that was for the better considering the other two men.

Rotten faces, skulls with some flesh still defiantly clinging like a plague to them. Their sunken eyes and still expressions were horrifying, but even worse was their movements. It was sick joke, they were graceful and as rapid as the best of the Mistralian folk dancers he had seen. The polar opposite of their corpse-like appearance.

But he saw hope. He saw at least fifty people, people he knew and cared for, tied and on their knees crying or whispering to the Gods for some reprieve. He hoped that his own actions would convince these monsters to offer that reprieve.

A meaty finger pointed from the woman to the tallest of the monsters. The one whose face seemed to be a shadow.

"That my child is Adolar, he is performing the role of Judge in our little Court today."

Her finger pointed to the hollowed spirits, one readied his scythe while the other his sword and shield.

"They are the executioners."

The Elder choked.

"And myself, hmm. I suppose I fill the role of the Jury. So let us run by our line of questioning again, and we shall see whether there is veracity to your words. Have you heard of a man named Gerhardt?"

The elder firmly shook his head "No. It is a rare name in Mistral, and none of my people ever were called by it. Nor can I think of it being a name that those in surrounding villages went by. I swear it by everything I hold dear."

A laugh, one so powerful that it felt as if the wind parted to let it through. The fat woman nodded slowly as her smile went from a mocking display of being genuine to one far lazier with contempt bleeding through it.

"That's all well and good, but I am quite afraid…"

She turned to the giant that she had called Adolar who gave an almost unperceivable shake of his head.

"We don't believe you."

The scythe tore the head of a villager so quickly that they couldn't even scream. Blood spattered across the ground, before freezing still as the headless corpse fell on it. The spirits looked at each other for a moment, before the one with the sword dragged another to its brother to be killed.

"I told you, we have not seen a man dressed in plate armour! Nor have we heard of one! No! Please! Please don't!"

This time there was no quickness or mercy to their death, the scythe went backwards and pierced through the prisoner's belly before he was lifted and shaken like a toy. His blood rained onto the ground above the other villagers. The spirit continued to shake the man as his pained and horrified cries died down into murmurs and groans. After what felt like hours, the scythe left his body and he fell to the ground lifeless and ravaged.

"Hmm, I suppose you will give me the same answer," said the woman wrenching the Elder's head up to look at his glassy eyes. She let go of his head before turning to her allies "It is my humble opinion Adolar, that perhaps they are telling the truth."

The Elder stared into the empty blackness, and it stared back. Adolar nodded slowly motioning with his hands.

"Kill them."

"No please don't kill my people! We've done nothing wrong!"

The woman's mace hit the ground firmly halting the work of the spirits who turned to her with neither shock nor interest. Merely nonchalance.

"Now Adolar, perhaps we might have use for them hmm?" crooned the woman, "The Cathedral always requires new members for its flock."

The great staff of the armoured giant cracked open the ground as sparks burned fiercely "I care not for your proselytising Evangelist; our Pontiff has given orders to find and return his favoured Outrider Knight. A Firewitch and Pontiff Knights do not yield to your authority. We do not have time for games. Isebrand, Reinhold. Kill them."

A swarm of insects burst from the woman's hand as she chortled. They ripped at the flesh of the two Knights who, despite the grievous damage they were taking, appeared blasé about the occurrence.

"Ignorant sow," hissed Adolar as his tinder began to glow with the fire that devoured the village, "it was a mistake for the Pontiff to have acquiesced to Royce's request. I will rectify it immediately."

"You will try Adolar, but I think you will find it much more difficult than you would hope."

The two spirits drew their weapons despite the swarm devouring them as the giant's tinder pointed at the Evangelist. They began to make their moves, but all was stopped when an icy aura coated the air. The Elder began to shiver, as even his bones felt the chill.

" _Imbeciles. Infighting begets only failure."_

The Elder turned to another Knight who towered over Adolar even with his back hunched. His breath was ice, and his metal armour had flakes of frost upon it even on a warm day in a village that was being consumed by hellfire. His pale blue eyes glowed underneath his alien helmet.

" _The youngest of my order is lost in this land, and I shall see him returned home."_

A rapier that seemed fashioned of permafrost itself found itself resting at the Evangelist's throat. All of her earlier bravado drained from her face, and the Elder felt glad to see fear on the woman. But he also knew that she was the only way he was going to survive.

" _This would cost us valuable time Dorhys, time I am not eager to waste. You forget yourself; this is not a mission of the Cathedral. This is a mission from the Pontiff and Tyrant of Irithyll. Religion takes no precedence over our objective."_

The rapier drew blood from her throat, before freezing the wound almost instantly.

" _However I acknowledge that Gerhardt is proving much harder to find than we anticipated. A base of operations for this Outride could prove useful."_

A sudden roar escaped his throat as he clutched his head in pain.

" _My time of lucidity is drawing to a close, Adolar allow the Evangelist her church. We may need its support in time. But if she ever draws her weapon against you again, burn her to ashes. As for the villagers, get maps off them if they have any. We will scour every village, town and city to find Gerhardt."_

The Knight wandered off.

" _I would like to see him while I can still recognise him."_

The Firewitch nodded motioning for the two Pontiff Knights to begin their search. With one last baleful look at the Evangelist he turned his head and followed them swiftly lighting his tinder in ceremony. Firewitches always lit the way for Irithyll's Knights.

The Elder felt the hand of the Evangelist grip his shoulder firmly as she leaned down to whisper "I must say the Outrider Knights of Sulyvahn are not as feral all the time as their reputation suggests. It's hard to keep up though, so many Knights at the Pontiff's disposal. The Outriders are fierce all the same even beyond their peers. I wonder just how fierce this Gerhardt is? The Pontiff has dispatched his finest and demanded the Archdeacon's support in the matter. This lost Outrider must be very important indeed. Come with me, hmm what was it? Kensuke? I'll make a deacon of you yet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel accomplished to publish this actually on a Sunday rather than the early hours of Monday morning. A bit of a mundane thing to pat myself on the back for but you take what you can get. I always kind of want to respond to people's reviews here but it makes the note clouded and unsightly in my opinion. So I shall just say my piece. Standard enough chapter, but it has some hints for the future that won't become apparent till later. I don't want to ramble so I'll cut it short. You know the drill PM me if you have questions I can answer without spoilers. I shall be uploading next Sunday hopefully unless it goes horribly wrong.
> 
> Stay safe, and I'll catch you next time.


	20. Chapter 20

It had been days since Gerhardt had seen Cinder personally; the orders from his own Mistress' liege were massive. The Huntsmen and Huntresses that needed to be dealt with were numerous and far apart. Cinder was blessed to know where some of them were, so she wisely took Mercury, Emerald and the newest addition Neopolitan with her to deal with those particular Hunters. Gerhardt questioned Neopolitan's loyalty, but ultimately it was Cinder's decision.

He obeyed.

The ones who were active were left to Mercury, Emerald and Neopolitan while the elusive or retired ones were his job to deal with; Gerhardt was aware he had the natural talents to better search for and destroy these hidden Hunters.

That led to the current village he was at, Yazawa. A mouthful to him, but everything in Remnant honestly seemed that way. A tagged on tongue, words and phrases that were stapled to him but decidedly not natural.

His head hurt thinking about such things.

The village had walls, not a particular oddity considering the presence of Grimm everywhere in the wilds. They left him be usually, but humans and faunus were not so lucky. Perhaps it was his semblance? Or maybe he was neither of those two species. Gerhardt was not sure, but a Knight did not ask questions.

His metal gauntlet rapped on the huge oak doors, waiting patiently as he heard bustling on top of the gate. A red-faced man, whose face resembled a steak more than anything else, glared at Gerhardt with a mixture of irritation and suspicion.

It did not take a genius to guess that they were used to not having lone visitors. Especially ones that walked around in plate armour while carrying a sword.

"You a Huntsman or something?" drawled the Gatekeeper, his shifty eyes narrowing further as he looked down.

"Yes, I am looking for a colleague. His name is Oda Ieyasu, he is supposed to be living in this village."

Gerhardt hoped he had pronounced the man's name right.

The Gatekeeper's gaze lingered on Gerhardt for a moment before nodding to himself slowly. He leered back again "Yeah I know Oda, question is does he really know you tin can?"

Gerhardt growled inwardly at the insult. He calmed slightly before speaking "Maybe a name would do? Tell him Shiro Wan has come to visit."

"Alright metal man," said the Gatekeeper, getting out of whatever seat he was on, "I'll go tell him. You sit tight and wait."

Gerhardt nodded as he covered himself in his cape.

"Don't get any funny ideas while you're waiting."

"Of course," said Gerhardt simply, his hand gripping onto his sword glad that his cape obscured that movement.

He listened carefully as the man descended the steps and into the village. The bustle inside soon drowned out the man's specific footsteps, but it also told Gerhardt that the Gatekeeper was a decent distance away. Enough that his intrusion on the village wouldn't be noticed.

Gerhardt hooked the claws of his gauntlets into the wood, and began to scale the gate rapidly. He could burn it down, cut it to pieces, hell even freeze it solid only to shatter it if that so pleased him. But that drew attention. Scuff marks on a wooden door this size would hardly be noticed at first, and when the man undoubtedly came back with Ieyasu in tow to see 'Shiro Wan' the Knight would be long in.

He vaulted over the top, taking off his helmet and hissing a tad as some skin came with it. Gerhardt clipped the helmet to his side, before covering himself with the cloak again. He still stood out, but not as much. If he stuck to the outer parts of the village it would be fine. The search was for someone who had Aura; if necessary he'd kill everyone until he found the right man.

It took a few minutes to get down from the stairs leading to the village proper. Then a few more to meld himself into what few shadows there were on such a warm day with the sun bearing down on them from directly above.

But he was safely in, and despite the unnatural paleness of his face and oddity of his appearance Gerhardt had attracted barely more than a cursory side glance and that was from a shop-keep. The village was honestly quite bustling, unnaturally so. He wondered if the figures had anything to do with it.

The people lying against every corner, clad in bloodied or torn clothes interested him. Still alive, and some quite glad looking, but obviously worse for wear. It was not unusual to see someone with injuries, life in the countryside was harsh at times and quite physical so it would be stranger not to see people with scars or wounds. But fresh blood on the ground, people huddling together and crying along with what looked like normal villagers bringing them food?

Refugees.

Gerhardt had to find out from where and if the Grimm attacked a village nearby. If that was the case then it was quite possible a Huntsman would have gone to deal with them. Despite his supposed quasi-retirement Ieyasu might not even be here right now. The Outrider's eyes focused on a unfamiliar figure.

A lone child sat on the ground, out of place amongst the refugees. Perhaps the perfect person to ask. Naïve that he wouldn't find Gerhardt particularly suspicious and scared enough to not consider refusing his questions.

"Boy, do you have a moment?" said Gerhardt walking towards the child who nervously looked at his feet.

The Knight's eyes rested on the child, and saw frailty incarnate. He was skinny, far too skinny for someone who should be around nine or ten. Indeed he looked as if the flesh was painted onto his bones and nothing more. Moreover he looked scared, so very scared. There was a particularly nasty gash his hand, but what interested Gerhardt was not how much it was bleeding.

No the caked dried blood mixed with the fresh wet blood on the ground like a pigment interested him more.

How long?

Gerhardt's pushed his questions to the back of his mind, and he instead seized the boy's arm ignoring the confused cry and squirming of the child. He could smell the blood pooling from the child, no clot. That was odd. Was it a disease of some kind?

Blood was not infinite, it was best to get the boy to save what he had.

He withdrew the chime and began his internal incantation. The flesh sealed shut, and the dirt fell away. The pain on the boy's face left instantly alongside some of the fear, as he looked at Gerhardt with fear and awe.

"H-how did you do that?" squeaked the child, taking a few steps back in fear, "only my Mother can stop me bleeding."

Interesting.

"My semblance." Gerhardt lied easily these days. He kneeled down to speak with the child "Perhaps you might be able to tell me where you are from?

The boy's eyes were still full of fear "F-from here. I'm not a refugee from Nakanouchi if that is what you were wondering."

Gerhardt nodded, but he couldn't help but feel irritation internally.

Why were all these town names nightmares to pronounce for him? Vale had been a good name, easy. Atlas. Fine. Mistral. Ok. Vacuo. A bit annoying but understandable. But these towns? Yazawa, Kuroyuri or however it was spelled. Nagahoro? Nakanouchi?

"Um, sir. Could you help me?"

"I already did boy," said the Knight, getting up from his kneeling position. His eyes stared dispassionately "If you want more I need something in return."

"C-could you help me back to my parents? They aren't far, but I don't want to go through the alleys alone again. Some of the refugees aren't kind. I'm sure my Mother could make it worth your while. "

There was a sigh as Gerhardt looked up to the sky in thought. It would be a waste of time, were it not for one factor. The boy's mother could stop that bleeding, and to Gerhardt's knowledge that was something that either required expensive medical technology or a semblance to accomplish. Perhaps the Huntsman had a wife, and Gerhardt had stumbled across Ieyasu's son.

"What's your name?"

A bright smile lit up on the child's face amidst the tears "Arata Ieyasu sir."

Gerhardt grabbed the child's hand allowing himself to be directed through the winding alleys and streets past beggars, thugs and feral dogs. All kept well away from the boy with him in tow. He was confused as to why a child so frail was even allowed near here, but then again perhaps he wasn't allowed. Children could be disobedient, Cinder often referred to Mercury as one when he half completed something or lazed about.

The boy was quiet enough, but he had a keen sense of direction. Gerhardt found himself led out of the maze of alleys and to the far side of town quickly enough. When they came to a particular building Arata stopped.

The house was not particularly impressive nor was it large but it definitely had a well off décor to it. Sliding doors and the tiling present complimented it. A large outer corridor surrounded the house; Engawa was their name if Gerhardt was correct. A staple of the Mistralian homes out in this corner of the world. There was a woman was out putting washing on the line. The Outrider unconsciously drew the boy to his side as he drew in.

"Good afternoon," called Gerhardt softly rubbing the boy's hair to give a sense of friendliness, "is this your son by chance?"

The woman was beautiful, Gerhardt could appreciate that. Clad in clothes not too different to his Mistress's own. Raven black hair and kind eyes completed her motherly image. She smiled at Arata, and for a moment Gerhardt saw someone different. Someone with beautiful brunette hair, and eyes so light in their teal they were like amber, clad in beautiful robes. Like a Dancer. She had that same smile.

And then the figure was gone.

The Knight let go from shock, his eyes glazed over. He could hear the murmuring of the boy to his mother as he cried into her shoulder, along with points to Gerhardt himself along with praising. But he didn't care.

The woman was gone. He wanted to see her again.

"Sir?" asked to woman kindly, watching as Gerhardt's eyes returned from their glassy expression to focus on her. She smiled "Are you alright?"

"Fine," said Gerhardt. He wiped his forehead of non-existent sweat, something he had yet to experience, as he spoke "The sun seems to be getting to me. Gerhardt will do, not sir."

"I am Manami, I heard what you did for my son," said the woman, clasping her hands together before bowing before Gerhardt her intoxicating smile still present, "We are in your debt, Arata has Haemophilia. His blood does not clot properly; my own semblance helps with that so I can normally keep him stable. If you hadn't been there I dread to think what would have happened."

The look in the woman's eyes was not that much different from the lilac eyed blond when he had saved her sister. Gerhardt wondered. Was this what gratitude felt like? He felt calmed looking at her.

"It was… nothing."

The woman seized him by the hand, her eyes not narrowing at all at the metal gauntlets before dragging him forward while excitedly chatting about how she had to thank him. Odd, Gerhardt would have wagered that metal gauntlets were not the norm; perhaps it was more common in this village? It was a good thing the cape could completely cover up his armour, although considering its length he was beginning to lean towards it being a cloak.

His thoughts were interrupted woman informed him they were having lunch and that her husband, Oda, would be glad to have a guest over and that he would be no trouble. That he was out and would be back shortly. A thousand platitudes and a thousand more laughs followed, but Gerhardt remained interested in one thing.

Oda.

He was still in the village.

Gerhardt walked into the house, noting that the Arata and Manami both took off their shoes. Such a task was not easy for him, but Manami seemed to understand leading him onward regardless and getting him to kneel before a small table. There was struggle as she tried to get him to sit in some ceremonial fashion, nigh impossible in his armour to be sure. Gerhardt began to feel irritated, but with a smile and a shake of her head she had him sit cross-legged and calmed him. Manami made promises of tea, saying she would serve 'sake' as well with the dinner she was making. That it would not be long. That he should make himself comfortable.

The Knight nodded politely, he couldn't bring himself to just get up and deal with Oda Ieyasu the moment he got back. It just felt peaceful. The thought that he should burn down the home now and that the Huntsman would show himself more quickly if he did so exited his mind.

That woman, Manami. Each time she smiled Gerhardt saw that figure from his dreams. Not the one that whispered to him. The one that smiled. He couldn't bring himself to do anything yet.

Gerhardt drank his tea before a clacking interrupted the silence.

He saw peculiar wooden sandals, and as Gerhardt looked up he saw him. A walking stereotype of the Mistralians who lived in this area, a man with a yellow tan and orange eyes. Ieyasu had a well-kept beard although it did not link to his moustache and despite how it was groomed, there was a certain wildness to it. His black hair was layered with traces of grey, and wrinkles accented his forehead. He was clearly past his prime, but not yet old. A scar was nestled just below the eyelid of his right eye. He carried what Gerhardt could only describe as a massive tube wrapped up, he made to inspect it further but Ieyasu placed it on the ground beneath the table away from prying eyes.

Interesting.

"I hear you are the one I must thank for getting my son home safe and sound," began Ieyasu making his way over to the table, "let me wash my hands and I would be glad to entertain you." He gave a curt bow in thanks, heading out to kitchen where Manami was. A minute later he return and sat down in the ceremonial fashion that his wife had tried to get Gerhardt to replicate.

"As I told your wife, it was nothing." Gerhardt found a tad bit of irony in saving the man's son's life directly because he had been sent to end Ieyasu's own. But that was beside the point.

He could stab Ieyasu now.

Once through the eye with his dagger that he kept in a pouch on his chest plate.

It would be quick. But he felt no need to do it yet.

The concept of swordplay was proving to be a sore point for him in all honesty. That girl, Neo, had humiliated him with her own sword not even a week ago. Mercury had informed him that it was either an épée or a foil. Foreign terms to Gerhardt at the moment, but he was eager to learn more of them.

He knew that he was a Knight, but how could he claim such a title when brute strength alone carried the day for him? Finesse would have to work its way into his repertoire of moves. But that mattered little at this moment in time, he was on mission and Cinder would have him be no better than a common assassin. Honour and skill did not matter if the best option was to shove a knife in Oda's eye.

Killing the Huntsmen was obviously on his mind but he found himself subconsciously putting it off. Odd. He knew that Oda had to die today, but it seemed that he could not find it in him to do that just yet.

The hospitality shown was just so generous.

A red bowl was placed before him, full of a soup or broth of some description. Gerhardt waited, as more dishes were brought. What looked to be beef, served with mushrooms, cabbage and topped with a sweet smelling sauce. The woman took pride in her cooking, but Gerhardt couldn't help but notice a slight hint of nervousness that was gone in the wind as soon as she met his eyes again. His eyes narrowed, but as she smiled they relaxed again.

Was he really that intimidating?

A muttered prayer was uttered, before everyone began to eat. Gerhardt took that as his cue to do so as well.

"What brings you here of all places? Yazawa is a beautiful place, but we do not get many visitors. The bigger villages are more popular," said Manami again with the smile.

Gerhardt strangely found himself attempting a smile back. "I think it's more popular than you know, your son Arata mentioned that there were quite a few refugees from Nakanouchi."

The boy smiled at the mentioned and nodded in agreement, however as he moved his hands excitedly he knocked over his cup. Gerhardt blinked as Oda stopped it from tipping over, it was odd that he had gotten up to do it before he had even done it. Arata must be a clumsy child.

Oda put down his chopsticks, and began to stroke his beard in thought. "There is much to be said about that, I had thought it Grimm related. But apparently not, they said it was the work of other people. But not the usual suspects."

"Usual suspects?" asked Gerhardt.

Ieyasu nodded "The Branwen Tribe. A collection of thieves, bastards and outcasts led by a coward who clothes herself own flaws in a belief of the superiority of the strong over those who are weak."

Those were strong words; Gerhardt could tell that meant only one thing.

"You knew her?"

The meal was left unattended at this point as both Gerhardt and Oda began to talk in earnest. Manami and dutifully kept quiet and continued with their meal, although Manami smiled at Gerhardt before she did so.

"At a point yes, she was an up and coming Huntress. Raven was well renowned, although not for politeness or kindness. Her efficiency was legendary, the kind we need more of in Huntsmen and Huntresses. She kept it up for a few years but then suddenly she dropped the honourable profession she had been graced with. Raven went dark for a while, almost nobody heard anything but then she resurfaced; the mutt had abandoned her honourable profession in favour of the life of a leech who feeds on other's despair. A bandit, a murderer, a thief. Her brother however proved to be a man of true character; he is still a Huntsman to my knowledge."

That put forward an interesting situation, was there a third element between the Branwen tribe and the Grimm? His Mistress would appreciate any information on the matter that he could get. Besides the conversation was pleasant.

"So if the Branwen Tribe are not behind it, who? The Grimm have been ruled out," said the Outrider, "what else is there?"

"Yōkai. Demons."

Were it any other person, Gerhardt was sure they would have laughed that off. Were he any other person he would have laughed it off too. But he had fought the Revenant, a man that appeared a monster to some. That tempered any disbelief in his heart.

Gerhardt looked to the side for a second, and saw Manami smiling before he turned back to see Ieyasu.

Oda sighed as if he himself was disappointed in his words. "That is what they say. Twin phantoms clad in archaic armour attacking the village. Tales of a Warlock who wrought fire from a great staff. A woman that carried a host of insects with her. Even a beast clad in armour, whose breath was winter."

The Outrider's eyes widened slightly at the last one. It was likely a coincidence, but the similarity was there.

"I could say more," said Ieyasu shaking his head, while his hand reached to the package kept at his side, "but I shall have an opportunity to see it myself."

"See it yourself?"

The man's eyes narrowed "Of course, I am still a Huntsman even now and as such it is my duty to check out such disturbances. I will be leaving tomorrow."

Silence fell as Gerhardt continued to eat his meal in silence. Now would be the time he should kill Oda, but once again he felt lethargy take him. Why bother killing the man? He could go back to Cinder and say he had done it; she would not punish him too harshly.

What?

Pale blue eyes narrowed as Gerhardt looked at Oda for a moment, he made to growl but only a sigh escaped his lips. Where was his aggression, his rage? Only a great feeling of content went through him. This feeling. It had not come the moment Oda had appeared; no it had been here longer. He knew not what the Huntsman's semblance was, but he doubted it was the cause of this.

A slight cry got his attention, as he turn to Manami who was bleeding very slightly from her finger. She smiled at Gerhardt before getting up to enter the kitchen. She returned quickly smiling as her finger was wrapped up in some bandages. Gerhardt stared for a moment before looking down at his soup and eating it.

He could hear the Ieyasu family talking, and he wanted nothing more than to join them but he kept his desire in check. After five minutes Gerhardt nodded slowly.

"Manami. I am sorry to bother you but could you heat this up please? I am a slow eater, so it's gotten cold."

Gerhardt did not look up but passed his bowl to her.

There was silence for a moment, before Gerhardt heard he smiling in her voice "Certainly Gerhardt, just give me a minute."

Oda began to talk to his son, asking about his studies but the Knight found himself becoming marginally less and less interested in the conversation as it continued onwards. It was not any more or less engaging that the conversation that Manami, Oda and had been having mere moments ago.

Manami.

"Here we are Gerhardt." Manami set the bowl upon the table smiling, but that became a frown as she noticed Gerhardt looking at the bowl rather than her.

"Has my wife done something to offend you?" asked Oda straightening himself and noticing that Gerhardt had looked up at him personally.

The Knight shook his head "No, she has done nothing to offend me."

Oda nodded sharply with a strained look on his face "Would you mind looking at her and telling her that then. Here in this part of Mistral we take great care to show hospitality to our guest, it would be rude not to reassure her."

"Ah, she needs to look and smile at me then."

Oda's eyes widened as he grabbed the package under the table.

Gerhardt grabbed the bowl of soup, listening to Manami's breathing, before throwing the liquid onto her face. She screamed and dropped to the floor, as the Knight stood up he heard go to his mother's side, and despite everything he noticed the woman was trying to look at him and smile again. Gerhardt grabbed her by the head and pushed her down to the ground firmly planting her face in the mat, before pulling out a dagger and pointing it at her throat.

"Your semblance, I knew the moment I saw you walk in with that cut. I thought it was something to do with healing wounds, but then why would you not just use it to heal such a trivial wound," said Gerhardt slowly pressing the dagger into her neck, "No you instead bandaged it, and you kept smiling. Your semblance calms people does it not? That's how you stop your son bleeding; you calm his body and force it to clot. That is how you lulled me from doing as I was sent here to do."

Oda ripped a massive curved sword from the package, which Gerhardt recognised to be a ōdachi. His Mistress had told him of the types of swords common in this region, the longest being the one that Ieyasu was wielding. A tinge of excitement ran through him, it was going to be a good fight.

"Get your hands off my wife dog, this is between you and me!" cried Oda thrusting the sword mere inches from Gerhardt's face and keeping it there.

The Outrider shook his head softly "It was between you and I, but then you involved your wife in some foolish attempt to try and avoid bloodshed. If I were to guess when you went out into the kitchen it was to tell Manami to keep me calm, I see the Gatekeeper spoke with you then. You should have just fought me, and used her as your last resort. Instead I have to make sure she doesn't get away, as she would certainly stop any fight we might have."

A tinge of regret shook through Gerhardt; she did so remind him of the woman in his dreams.

Fine.

He crushed downwards choking the woman, and Gerhardt watched as her face went blue and the air drained from her wound. He heard wailing at the sight, which was no surprise it looked as if he had killed her. But the roar of Oda was what struck him most.

Was that what despair sounded like?

The ōdachi pierced straight through Gerhardt's neck, and for a moment he feared he might be decapitated. But the blade pulled out again, and he fell to the ground in a heap next to Manami blood pooling from him as well. Oda dropped to the floor beside his wife begging her to stay with him, but Gerhardt saw opportunity. He made to grab the man only for his hand to miss. The Knight recovered quickly pushing himself from the ground as his wound froze over stopping the blood in its tracks.

"Arata run," said Oda simply, dropping into a fighting stance with his ōdachi.

Gerhardt ripped the longsword from his sheathe, a dagger would be less than ideal in these circumstances so he placed that back in its pouch. Already he began to analyse the potential difficulties that he was going to face while fighting Oda. Range was chief among them, he could consider using the halberd but that would entail an unwieldiness Gerhardt was certain his opponent would not share. Speed was another factor, Gerhardt could guess that the strokes from the ōdachi would be slower than that from his longsword, but not substantially so. Potentially not at all. He quickly placed his helmet over his head.

The world exploded into white light, and Gerhardt felt a sharp pain in his right eye. He gripped the blade pushing its way towards his skull, forcing it back with all his strength. He felt the grip of the swordsman wavering.

An unpleasant scraping sound screamed across the room as Oda forcefully drew the blade of his sword back from Gerhardt's closed hand. The metal protected part of the underside in particular a strip around the palm of his hand, but other parts were covered in gambeson instead to allow his hand to move with more fluidity. The copper smell of his own blood as it dripped from his right hand proved that it was not enough to stop Oda's blade. His right eye had been mangled as well, and Gerhardt doubted that he would get the time to repair it in this fight.

Unfortunate.

Another scream tore through the room, as Gerhardt brought down his own longsword to slice through Oda who deftly parried the blow. He sliced with full force into Gerhardt's side. The plate armour rang from the blow, and the Knight groaned as he felt the shock of the blow move through him.

Oda hit hard. Very hard.

Gerhardt focused on his opponent before the din of blinding white light reappeared. He felt the stab at his eye again, but he stopped it in its tracks this time preventing it from further ruining his eye. Oda was focused on killing him quickly, that might be useful for reading his movements better.

But the question remained. Those flashes of light, where were they coming from?

The ōdachi swept forward, and Gerhardt tried to parry it but he found himself unbalanced as Ieyasu feinted at the last second and instead whipped the sword round to slice at the less armoured section of armour in Gerhardt's legs. More blood spilled.

A feral scream erupted from Gerhardt as he tried to cut the man in two, but he was gone already spinning backwards having deflected the attack casually as he retreated.

Not enough space. That was the problem. Gerhardt knew he was too choked in this room; he needed an open area to fully use his own mobility. That was fine, he could make way himself.

The Outrider roared through the wall to his left, savouring the shocked look on Oda's face. He tore through the walls like they were paper, finally seeing sunlight. He moved to get ready for Oda, but a sandaled foot answered him instead knocking Gerhardt out into the grass just shy of a massive tree that was shedding sweetly pink flowers. Gerhardt raised his sword, flinching as the ōdachi struck but it was held back by his guard.

His eyes focused on the foreign sword, it was grooved and accented but that wasn't what interested him. The pommel was slightly scuffed, and what looked like a yellow dust crystal was embedded in it.

A stunning tap.

"Clever," muttered Gerhardt pushing up the longsword with all of his might, watching with some pleasure as Ieyasu immediately got out of the sword lock. He at least had superiority in pure strength.

Oda instantly was on the offensive again, zoning across the area in front of him with a powerful swipe of his blade like a scythe through wheat. Gerhardt doubled back to avoid the move, but he realised his mistake instantly.

The ōdachi pommel crackled with electricity toward Gerhardt, he swerved the side to avoid it noticing the frustration in Oda's amber eyes. The Outrider moved to punish the swordsman's mistake stabbing out with his longsword with one hand, while his other firmly gripped the end of the pommel manoeuvring it onto the gambeson covering part of his hand to avoid the risk of shocking himself.

Gerhardt missed utterly, as Ieyasu danced away. But the swordsman danced away bereft of a weapon, having dropped it in his hurry to avoid the thrust.

"I take it you have a spare weapon?" said Gerhardt softly stopping to analyse the ōdachi.

Oda shook his head "I won't need one."

Were he arrogant Gerhardt would have laughed at the notion, but he was anything but. Ieyasu was a warrior, and his skill was not something Gerhardt could contest. He had an advantage now, he could not waste it. The ōdachi was forced into the sheathe made for the longsword, it did not fit well and looked awkward but it was a temporary thing.

"You'll have to forgive me if I insist on holding on to this one."

He moved forward ready to kill Ieyasu for his mistake; he made swift and powerful strokes with his blade. But despite his speed, and ferocity he watched as Ieyasu ducked, dodged and weaved through them all like a snake. How was he doing this?

Gerhardt moved for an overhead attack, planning to feint it into a shoulder-tackle. Ieyasu would dodge to the side of the attack as he always did, and then would be winded. The Knight moved, and Ieyasu dodged backwards.

How?

How did he know?

Ieyasu ran forward and Gerhardt brought his blade across horizontally to bisect the man, but Oda slid under the longsword hooking his hand onto Gerhardt's sheathe pulling it off along with the ōdachi inside. The swordsman got up quickly, and as Gerhardt desperately slammed his longsword onto the grass where Oda was lying he rolled to the side once again evading damage.

Gerhardt ripped his sword from the ground, turning his head only for the ōdachi to strike full force on top of him. His ears exploded with ringing and he felt a cut open on his head while his world shifted and slurred through his eyes. Oda finished his move with a kick which sent the Knight to the ground in a heap coughing up what felt like his lungs.

Ieyasu moved forward, and as Gerhardt moved his hand to grip at the swordsman he felt it leveraged and pushed aside. His vision still blurred he saw only the faint outline of the ōdachi before it cut into his eyes puncturing both. Gerhardt then felt a sharp pain in his hands, feet and even his throat, he realised what Oda was doing.

Immobilising him.

"I cannot kill you can I?" muttered Oda to himself slowly, "no man survives a stab through the throat much less getting up and acting as if it did not happen."

Gerhardt hissed in pain "Precognition. That is your semblance is it not? You see my moves before I have made them."

Silence.

The Outrider shot up only for a foot to slam down on his face pushing him into the ground again. Pointless as the Outrider had guessed.

"So it is," said Gerhardt weakly.

He was out of options; Oda had not been hit once. Therefore no blood, nothing that would reinvigorate him. That meant only one thing; his embers would have to work.

The ground beneath Ieyasu fell apart as flames burst through like magma from a volcano. Molten rock spilled across the area, but he was able to avoid being caught in it. As he turned to see Gerhardt lying on the ground he felt his Semblance ring again as he dodged another geyser of blackened flame.

"I can keep doing this," choked Gerhardt blood spattering across the inside of his helmet, "I might not be able to see you, but I can hear you."

Oda was inclined to agree, as his semblance kept informing him of a persistent barrage of dark flames spurting from the ground with reckless abandon. He noticed the Gerhardt's weakened hand had withdrawn what looked like a chime or bell of some description. It began to ring, and to his horror Gerhardt got back up his blood having dried up. A weary sigh escaped the Knight's lips as he drew out his sword again, running his hand across it.

It began to shift, becoming a great-sword. The size of the handle and blade were immense, and if Oda was to guess he would say it was around five to five and a half feet. Not the most oversized weapon he had ever seen, but the practicality of its look despite its size worried him.

Ieyasu continued to dodge the never-ending geysers of flame, as Gerhardt walked towards him. He was getting worried, because his semblance continued to ring informing him he needed to dodge but the Knight was seemingly able to move towards him while sustaining this fiery assault.

His semblance roared at him to stand still, and so he did watching as three geysers exploded to his left, right and back leaving only the front open.

Where Gerhardt was.

He thrust his ōdachi at the Knight one last time, but his opponent dodged it and grabbed the blade pulling it from his hands. He was disarmed.

Oda felt out with his Aura, he smiled slightly as he felt the faintest whisper of his wife and son's. That was what mattered the most to him.

Gerhardt thrust the massive blade into Oda's chest; he speared it further into the dirt as he saw the wound open watching the man slide down the sword in shock as his chest was split in two. His screams were cut short, and died into a wet gurgle that escaped his mouth.

The Outrider gripped Oda's shoulder noticing a bit of life still left in the man, he tore his great-sword out and with the momentum he had built up he lopped Ieyasu's head off with a savage crunch. The headless corpse collapsed to the ground twitching slightly before falling still.

"You were a worthy opponent," said Gerhardt seizing the flames around him and subduing them. It was in a way disappointing, he had hoped to fight them man sword-to-sword subconsciously but that was not an option.

Gerhardt sighed as he turned around only to see a small figure on his knees in front of him. Crying as he saw the sigh of his father looking at the Knight with fear.

The Outrider blinked in shock "What? Still here? Your father told you to run, why didn't you?"

No response was given as the boy continued to cry.

"I was not told to kill you nor your mother," said Gerhardt, picking up Oda's sword and moving towards Arata.

The boy stood still in fear, before the ōdachi was placed in his hands while his fingers were forcibly clasped around the weapon by Gerhardt's own.

"Your Father fought well, and your Mother did the best she could. Perhaps in time you will too." Gerhardt stood up, before wandering away watching the boy collapse.

The Outrider felt a tinge of guilt, but ultimately the choice was never his. Nor was it Oda's. It was just circumstance. A sword didn't choose where it was pointed or who it killed.

Gerhardt heard shouts of panic in the village proper; undoubtedly the destruction he had wrought was quite visible to them. He would need to return to his Mistress promptly, the talk of those strange being in Mistral would be interesting to her surely.

It certainly was to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longish chapter here, especially as there was no POV change. I plan to do this from time to time but usually it will be for Gerhardt as despite being at the centre of things the way he views the world is unique in comparison. Sorry for being late by the way, work weighed me down for the last week and I couldn't get this out at the quality I would have liked in that timeframe. I hope to avoid a similar delay for next Sunday but you never know.
> 
> As always leave a review if you feel like it and you can message me if you have questions that I can answer without spoiling too much. Stay safe everyone and I'll catch you next time.


	21. Chapter 21

Velvet kept quiet. She had learned to do that as the newest member of Team VRSN, or 'Version'. It was one thing to join a new team, to learn who she was with and what made them tic. It was another to basically force her way into it.

And to do that after a teammate had died?

Velvet was a ghost now.

Ren was the most affable of the new Team, and Velvet appreciated him more than she could put into words. He gave her the time of the day when the others wouldn't look at her.

But saying that really brought home just how much she was disliked by the other two. Nora was aggressive and constantly critical of her at every avenue, making comments about how Jaune wouldn't have done this and Jaune wouldn't have done that. At night Velvet heard her cry, but by morning the red-hot aggression of Nora was back full force without a chink in her armour.

Pyrrha was her own breed of unpleasant. Velvet had spoken to her before this, although not to any degree of regularity mind you, and the Mistralian had been lovely. Pyrrha had shown she was kind, generous and even somewhat shy. Nothing like now. Pyrrha was now cold and dismissive at best, somewhat like a less abrasive Nora. But at her worst? Pyrrha was frigid and rabid. She made cold remarks about Velvet having no place on the team, excluding her from group conversations and only passing on orders for what Velvet was needed to do. Pyrrha made every effort to make Velvet the phantom limb of VRSN, the one that didn't belong.

Velvet knew that she didn't deserve this, but what could she expect? Headmistress Goodwitch had put her into a team that she had no business being in; Beacon had decided to toss her into a still grieving group of friends as a glorified replacement for the one that didn't come back. It was a miracle that they even spoke to her but that didn't do much to make Velvet feel any better. She would have left herself were it not for what she had promised Coco.

She grieved for Jaune, she really did. But why did his death have to make her suffer? There was another reason for Velvet to be frustrated.

They were back in the source of everything that had gone wrong in her life.

Mountain Glenn. The abandoned city was deader than usual with the Grimm having swarmed to Vale for the Breach, their numbers thinning as they were mopped up by trained Huntsmen and Huntresses in the aftermath of the Revenant's death. The almost complete lack of Grimm only accented the devouring emptiness that the dead city practically oozed of. Velvet struggled to put it into a way that could truly do it justice, but in a word that feeling that Mountain Glenn gave was death. Complete and utter. Every cracked slab of concrete or shard of long-broken glass told the story of someone who had met their end here. Devoured by the unrelenting hordes of Grimm.

Sometimes it was hard to remember why the Grimm were so dangerous to humans and faunus alike. Velvet could slaughter packs of Beowolves at a time, and even multiple Ursas were nothing but a minor set-back. King Taijitus, Nevermores, and Deathstalkers were a challenge on her own, but a reasonable one.

But there was never just a few Grimm.

The Grimm were a flood, once they broke in you had to patch up the leak or everything would wash away in the tide. Even Hunters had their limits in what they could fix. And for those who didn't even have their Auras unlocked? They didn't stand a chance.

Black hides and white teeth would tear through skin, muscle, and bone like a hot knife through butter. Ever since becoming a Huntress she had been foreign to true unadulterated dread. The type every man, woman, and child felt when they came up against the Grimm lacking Aura. But fear never takes a permanent leave of absence, and terror had worked its way back into her life.

Gerhardt made her feel that way. He made CFVY know that despite everything they had done to try and stop him, it wasn't enough. Velvet almost wished it had been brutally quick, but instead Gerhardt ensured it was a vicious drawn out fight. Arguably his own caution made him overestimate CFVY's threat to him, so their dissection at his hands, while frenzied, was in reality a cruel and calculated affair.

When CFVY had fought Gerhardt, they had met a beast made with the flesh of man, every bit as feral as a Beowolf and stronger than an Ursa. Seeing him grind them all down into dust, not talking but growling as he moved. That roar he made as he dodged and attacked, the grunts and screams. Not ones born of pain but rather anger and a deeply smothered tinge of excitement.

Gerhardt weathered the storm while he brought it himself.

To see Coco unload at him point blank with her weapon only for Gerhardt to weave through every bullet and slam into her anyways was horrifying. To see Yatsu ring true with a strike from his mighty great-sword, deforming Gerhardt's armour under the weight of the blow, only for the Knight to ignore it and strike back at him instead as his neck healed nigh instantly in a rain of blood was petrifying. To see Fox futilely strike at pressure points protected by chainmail and stern plate, only for Gerhardt to look at him with confusion before swatting Fox down was crushing. To watch her Semblance fail to copy the moves the Knight began to display as the fight wore on? That was sickening.

In that moment Velvet knew what it felt like to be someone without Aura in front of a creature of any Creature of Grimm. That primal fear, the sinking feeling in your chest when you couldn't see a way out but tried to find it anyways. Like a rabbit cornered in its den by a hound.

"Should've just left him be," muttered Velvet to herself quietly as they stalked the ruined staircase of a destroyed office building, "should've left those soldiers to die."

Pyrrha gave a fleeting and disgruntled look at her before turning back to Nora who was walking side by side with her. Ren trailed behind, and Velvet was thankful for that. He was doing it to make sure she didn't get separated from the group. That spoke volumes about who he was. Velvet couldn't claim she had ever spoken with him about anything non-mission related, but she did know what kind of man he was from his actions.

The dark shadow cast over by the ruined building they were traversing broke, as they walked out of the fifth floor onto 'concrete vines' of another building. Ruined pillars fallen by the wayside allowed one to cross between certain parts of Mountain Glenn quickly albeit dangerously. Chips of the cracked stone faded off onto the drop below shattering to bits when they made landfall. Velvet could not say whether it would be fatal for her, but she would rather not have to find out.

"We're almost there," said Pyrrha as they made it into the next building. Her emerald eyes glared at Velvet for a moment "You can help scout out the area."

Velvet's talent for photography seemed to be all that really justified her being on this mission. She was to help find proof of 'Dr Merlot', not only being alive but still active in the ruins of Mountain Glenn. They had been briefed on the bare bones of what Merlot believed in and his role in the fall of the settlement. Supposedly robots of various shapes and sizes were being reported in the area, ones that that were distinctly un-Atlesian. Something that Merlot, and Merlot alone, employed.

"We will set up down here for now," said Ren placing a hand of Velvet's shoulder, she appreciated the calmness he washed her with. "At the top of this building there should be a good spot to look over the northern edges. That's where the sightings occurred. See if you find anything, if not we'll move tomorrow to look over the eastern part."

After listening to Ren Velvet left. She broke into a jog, glad somewhat to be away from the oppressive atmosphere that Nora and Pyrrha practically radiated. Ren managed to make it far easier to deal with, but he couldn't work miracles. In a place as wretched as this, the atmosphere of those two went from bad to worse in an instant.

It wasn't hard to reach the top, nor to see that Ren was right as she looked through the massive breakage in the wall, the ripped off windows that gave her an eagle's view of the lower area. There in that wreckage, Velvet saw it.

The dead city, in all its wretched glory, stretched before her.

In that silence she could hear it.

She heard the sound of Mountain Glenn after all these years; crows and ravens cawing as they flew around the artificial corpse. Metal screaming in the wind as decades of rust warped and deformed it; the somewhat comforting pitter-patter of the rain falling upon stone and steel was Velvet's only comfort. The occasional howl of a Beowolf or roar of an Ursa interrupted things but did not seem out of place. Why would it? The dead city was their home now.

Velvet took out her camera and looked down, spying past the rooftops and abandoned streets. She saw the black shapes of the few Grimm that remained roaming about, but they were like ants to her from this far away. Nothing caught her eye immediately, so she didn't bother zooming in. But she gave it a broad glance anyways, thinking to herself all the while.

Yatsuhashi's family and Fox's family, she was going to make sure that most of her earnings as a Huntress went towards them. One day she hoped to meet their families as well and tell them how great their sons were. Coco had said that she could visit her in Vale anytime, and Velvet was sure she would take that opportunity. It was nice to know someone cared.

It was depressing that she was going to have to put up with four years of this bitter resentment from all but one of teammates, until she could graduate as a Huntress and strike out on her own. But she would bear it. Then Velvet could finally do what she had always wanted to do and help people.

Ever since she was young she had known that was what she had wanted. Maybe at first the idea was stained with a want for recognition or praise, but it had blossomed into a fully-fledged desire after she had matured.

Velvet didn't look down on Huntsmen and Huntresses who did it for fun, money or just for lack of a better option. She just needed something greater than that, something larger in scope. She needed to find true meaning in this life. Her life.

And now she had two purposes, to prove her worth by saving those around her from the Grimm. And to avenge Fox, Yatsu and Coco. Velvet had never imagined she would have had a vendetta against someone, but things change.

Things change.

A tear dropped from her as she kept thinking. Gerhardt had been a friend, someone Velvet would have willingly put her neck out for. She had known him, he had seemed cold and abrasive but that had honestly been a front. Gerhardt was all bark and no bite. He showed kindness and excitement around her, all but begging to go see movies and suffering through her clothes shopping sprees without complaint. CFVY had seen genuine fear in him the day he had snapped. Things that showed to be a normal person, and yet the day he had lost his mind was the end of it, the Gerhardt she knew never returned. Velvet wanted so desperately for it all to have not happened. If Qrow hadn't escalated things, maybe they could have helped him or something. Anything.

Instead, it all went to hell.

When Gerhardt returned from the dead he came back feral. She had spoken with Yang, and she had said that Gerhardt did speak but didn't recognise them. That idea didn't seem far-fetched considering that Gerhardt just lunged at CFVY with the intent to kill them all. No bark this time, only bite.

All those men he killed and eaten. Like a monster ripped from a fairy tale and given life. When Velvet had been younger she heard tales of monsters who devoured humans and faunus alike. The "Big Bad Wolf' was perhaps the most famous, a particularly intelligent Beowolf who tried to befriend a girl in a red hood before attempting to eat her up. It was stupid, but Velvet could honestly see the similarity between those two characters with Gerhardt and Ruby.

Then what did that make her?

A thousand answers shot through her head, but only one stayed. The Huntsman, the person who had killed the Big Bad Wolf. It was all just a fairy tale of course, but if it had any resemblance to reality then Velvet vowed she would be the Hunter and not the Hunted. When she was ready she would have vengeance.

No.

She would have justice.

A warm fire filled her heart, as Velvet's determination burned bright. Life was a struggle, one that pushed and pulled in a never-ending war. She was determined that she would not be destroyed. Velvet would struggle on, because that was what she wanted to do.

Sudden movement caught her eye, and Velvet focused her lens on the northern edge seeing a metallic sheen. Her eyes widened as she saw three strange looking robots wander in to a pack of Beowolves. Two were coloured red and wielded what looked like spears or halberds. While a larger white one carried what looked to be a mini-gun that Coco would have envied.

The Grimm shifted, and while Coco could not hear them from this far away she could guess they were snarling. The robots were not deterred, instead the white one lifted his weapon firing a massive shell. It produced a striking white light; Velvet had the luxury of observing if from far away and therefore being able to see what was going on. The red robots ran towards the Beowolves stunning them with their weapons. They grabbed the most impressive specimens before dragging them on their shoulders away out of her sight as the white robot followed suite.

Five more figures joined the fray as the other robots left, but they confused Velvet the most. These new robots where dressed like Knights, and not the Atlesian kind. Armet helms that looked fit for riding a horse to war, full plate armour as if they were ready for a joust. An assortment of weapons graced all of them; great metal tower shields were in their left hands of a pair with spears in their right, two wielded a simple sword and shield combination while all but one wore billowing red cloak. The 'commander' or 'captain' wore a cloak of blue in contrast to his comrades. The Blue-Cloak carried a massive great-sword, one that would be impossible to wield even for a robot. They stood easily at seven feet, enough that Yatsu would have looked a reasonable height amongst them.

That wasn't what scared Velvet the most.

The Blue-Cloak turned. From a dozen kilometres away behind the very smallest crevice of an abandoned street straight past the winding buildings and alleys Velvet saw it focusing its sight through the lens of her camera. Baleful red eyes burned through the helmet despite the distance, as bright as the sun in the sky.

It was looking at her.

Velvet got up; she had to tell the others.

* * *

 "He's due back shortly," said Cinder curtly, answering the question that everyone save her was thinking.

Neo still hated the Knight, everything about him irked her. His overly zealous disposition towards Cinder, his pliant nature to Emerald and Mercury and his ferocity when it came to matters he cared about. Namely Cinder. A walking contradiction. Barely a week had passed, so she didn't expect much insight. But it felt like she knew less about him than she did when they first met, which felt so long ago. It seemed to Neo like she needed a least a hundred more eyes to even get a glance of what kind of person he really was.

The forest rustled, and the clacking of metal boots echoed in the foliage. Birds flew away disturbed by the awful racket.

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear.

Gerhardt marched in completely dressed in his armour, his helmet was dented slightly, while some scratches adorned the chest-piece and legs. Nothing too major, but enough to show that he'd been in a few fights. A scar to his armour interested her, the slit of one of his eyes looked like it had been pierced with the strip of metal that separated them completely gone. Instead a single visor shone with the pale blue light of his eyes, despite the light shining on him Neo could see nothing of his skin. Only his eyes.

Now how could that be?

There was silence as Gerhardt fell to his knees bowing, Neo let out a silent scream. Either he was a massive suck-up or had been born about a thousand years too late. Regardless she wanted to throttle him every time he did these stupid things. Didn't help that Cinder's smug expression only encouraged him to do it more. When Neo had grown up with the Tribe there was no need to show any kind of deference like that, never mind with Roman. Just because you were someone's superior didn't mean you had to treat them as beneath you.

Cinder smiled in delight. "Successful I take it?"

"I killed everyone you asked me to."

"Good."

And that was that. Gerhardt stood up again, shouldering an even larger sword than Neo remembered him having, and he fell to the back of the group. They began to walk again, undoubtedly now making their way to Cinder's Master.

Neo had heard that Gerhardt was Cinder's favourite from Emerald and Mercury but looking at it she wasn't so sure. The way he was treated was completely foreign to the other two and even her own treatment from Cinder. Mercury and Emerald were the closest thing that Cinder probably had to friends and it showed, Neo herself was treated as a subordinate. But Cinder held the Knight on a leash, he was a pet or tool more than anything else.

She felt a jostle at her shoulder; a silent snarl escaped her as she looked to Mercury who scowled back at her before pointing his thumb at Cinder who was staring expectantly.

The boss wanted to talk.

Neo sped up, coming to Cinder's side.

"Emerald leave us."

Red eyes looked at her with suspicion, before the girl nodded and slowed down to talk with Mercury. Neo turned to Cinder.

"I'll be brief," said Cinder as she looked to Neo," I know you want little Ruby Rose dead."

Dead was an understatement, Neo wanted her flayed alive. Wanted her destroyed so very utterly that there would be nothing left to speak of. Wanted her friends and family to suffer before that. Wanted Rose to see her own world burn before she was killed.

Neo nodded.

"I am quite willing to give you that opportunity, but in return I would need your help for a time. Only temporary. Then you will get to kill Ruby Rose. After that you are welcome to walk your own path."

Things rarely came for free in life, Neo knew that well. Everything had a price. She just hoped this price was not too much to pay. Roman was worth more to her than anyone could ever know, and the price she would pay for him even if he had died was beyond understanding. But working with Cinder Fall was like making a deal with the Devil, despite the woman's promises Neo did not know if she could get out again once they shook hands.

Wasn't that what Roman had in mind for her when they did that last job for Cinder? A second chance, one free of struggle or strife. One where Neo didn't have to sleep rough and hide from law enforcement, one where she didn't have to murder and steal to survive? And here she was, wasting it all for vengeance. She wished that she felt ashamed, but any shame was murdered by her desire to see this through. Every action deserves one in return, if that red-haired bitch thought she was going to escape scot-free after killing the only person Neo had ever cared for then she had another thing coming.

If the Branwen Tribe had ever taught her anything, it was that you never let those who wrong you walk away.

"I can tell you are willing to do that, but I'll tell you specifically what I want you to do later. As long as we are in agreement, there is nothing to worry about," Cinder waved her hand dismissively, and Neo took it as her cue to leave.

As Emerald retook her customary position beside Cinder, and Mercury whistled a tune to himself, Neo found that her company was now Gerhardt. Not ideal. Not ideal at all.

Neo kept quiet as she always did, watching the Knight march alongside her. She wished she understood how he worked, because to her he was like a robot made of flesh. Far too willing to obey, and completely blank when not being told to do things. Neo didn't know whether he had likes or dislikes. Hobbies. Anything. What drove a man to serve so completely? Roman taught her that deep down every person wants to be the master of their own fate. No matter how weak or cowardly that person was, they were itching to take control of their own lives and the ones of those around them.

And yet here the Knight stood. A living contradiction to that unalterable truth. The words of others and his own actions seemed to absolve him of what a person, whether they be human or faunus, really was on the inside.

Emerald feared Gerhardt would take her position, Mercury had said as much. And Mercury just seemed to fear what the Knight would do if ordered. Even Cinder who held his absolute loyalty had moments where her smug nature faded; Neo had seen it as she told Gerhardt to do even menial things. No signs of hesitance in the Knight's frame, it seemed even Cinder herself realised such loyalty was profoundly abnormal.

Neo feared him because she had always been the master of her own destiny since the Tribe, every person was meant to be. A person who couldn't control their life was like a Captain who couldn't steer a ship, that is to say not one at all. Neo was looking at someone who was blank. Without ambition. A macabre mock-up of human and animal traits and yet no faunus. Gerhardt was so fundamentally unnatural, but with hints that he was at one point normal.

Perhaps the most worrying thing was Gerhardt himself seemed to fear nothing. It wasn't bravery or anything like that, because bravery implied he felt fear but struggled on anyways. Gerhardt just seemed to not entertain the notion. No emotion ultimately got in his way once Cinder had ordered him to do something.

It was…wrong. So very wrong.

Something had to have happened to him. Maybe someone else had put him back together wrong. Perhaps he was fashioned to be the way he way. Because no one could be born to be like this.

A multitude of roars split the forest, and Neo instantly knew what it was. Not ones full of bloodlust necessarily, rather communication. A Beowolf pack migration, heading this way it would seem. Neo knew that Cinder's master exercised power over the Grimm, but that didn't seem to change that they attacked them all the same out here in the wilderness of Mistral.

Gerhardt let out a harsh breath, and Neo felt a chill coat the air. A perfect contrast to the blood boiling in her. She spread her parasol out, smiling slightly.

Been too long since a good fight.

* * *

 A haunting laugh echoed across the room, and Kensuke cringed slightly. His old bones shuddering in fear. The Evangelist was in a good mood, which either heralded bad things for himself, or for others.

The clacking of her great mace preceded her, and Kensuke smoothed the creases in his robes as she walked in to his office of sorts. "Ah my child, how are things in our flock?"

They were the congregation now, what was left of his village. Although at this point Kensuke was certain he was the only one still 'here'. The others had begun to grey out, their skins cracking and their teeth decaying. As if they had stopped caring for themselves decades ago, and yet their subjugation had happened less than a month prior. His villagers, his children, now looked like walking corpses.

"All is well Dorhys."

Not calling her Dorhys irritated her, and Kensuke had long since learned not to irritate the Evangelist.

Her mace leant against the doorframe of the small room Kensuke worked in, part of the church that was being built. Dorhys' eyes burned at him as she searched either for fear, doubt or perhaps just the words she wanted to say next.

"What of Adolar? Has he been causing the Congregation trouble, or perhaps he had been using Isebrand and Reinhold to do it?"

Kensuke feared the Fire Witch and the two Pontiff Knights, but he feared Dorhys more. Nevertheless, she was his people's protector now. As horrid as that idea was.

"No Dorhys." Simple and to the point, as the Evangelist liked. Dorhys enjoyed wordplay and speech-craft when she herself engaged in it, but from others? That was a quick way to have your bones shattered for wasting her time.

Metal boots scraped off the stone floor outside, and even Dorhys seemed unnerved slightly as she recognised the sound. Heavy, but not the regimented marching sound of Adolar or the ghostly footsteps of Reinhold or Isebrand. It was more a shuffle, utterly inhuman simultaneously heavy and light. Loud and quiet.

Only one Knight made that sound.

He feared Dorhys more than the Fire Witch and his Knights. But the Outrider?

Kensuke feared him the most. Not for anything he did, but rather the reaction of others to him. If a Beowolf ran with its tail between its legs from something, you knew that it was to be feared as well.

The air began to frost over, and Kensuke coughed wetly.

" _Dorhys, I would have a word with your underling."_

That was not good at all.

Dorhys' eyes shot to Kensuke with a glare but eased as she saw his genuine terror. No one wanted to talk with an Outrider. No one.

The Evangelist grabbed Kensuke by his robes "Do not anger him child, because even I cannot protect you from the rage of an Outrider. None of us here can."

Dorhys picked up her great mace and wandered out the door, nodding deferentially to the Outrider who towered over her. The Knight barely spared her a glance before entering Kensuke's room, surprisingly closing the door behind him. A large sword that looked fashioned of ice was sheathed on his leg. On a creature his size it looked like a normal one-handed sword. Kensuke felt fear as he saw the abomination that was the Outrider's helmet. It just looked wrong. A massive gash in it revealed the ethereal glow of the eyes underneath, and there were small strips of metal that let Kensuke vaguely see the ice blue eyes themselves. Oddly human for something so monstrous but the rest of the helmet looked like the features of a rabid beast, so it balanced out.

The Outrider slowly pulled out the sword, and Kensuke went white.

"Wine _."_

The sword clattered onto Kensuke's desk and the creature straightened his back with a sickening snap.

The elder blinked, the Knight's entire voice and demeanour had changed instantly.

"W-what?"

"I can smell fermented grapes, you have wine? Give it to me."

Kensuke nodded slowly, inwardly impressed by that sense of smell. He pulled out one of the few bottles he had squirreled away. How else was he able to sleep at night with what he had seen Dorhys and the other Knights do?

He went to pour it into a glass grabbing a tool to get the bottle open, but faster than he could see the wine was gone. The Outrider wrenched the cork off the bottle with his metal gauntlet with the cork still embedded on one of his claw-like fingers. The Knight snorted in amusement at the sight before bizarrely pouring the wine directly the massive scar wound of his helmet. The pink liquid dripped down the Knight's face, but he kept doing it. Kensuke grimaced as he saw the entire bottle disappear. But much less had dripped to the ground than had been poured. How could that be?

"It doesn't come off anymore, the helmet but I can still drink through it."

Kensuke again blinked in shock at the man's perception.

"I struggle to eat; things have to be crushed to paste if I want to enjoy the taste of something. But there are small holes in this helmet, enough for wine to get through."

The Outrider sighed slightly, as he nestled himself into a corner and sat down with his hands on his knees. Even still he was taller than Kensuke.

"I could get you a seat?" offered Kensuke, not wanting to offend the Knight.

There was a harsh barking laugh from the Outrider as he stared at the Village Elder.

"Fool. Don't you know? Dogs do not sit on chairs."

Kensuke decided not to push it; there was more to these strangers from 'Lothric' than he even dared ask. The idea of them being from another world was unbelievable, but what they could do made him believe.

"If you do not mind me asking, why are you here?"

Silence. Uncomfortable silence.

A small movement came from the Knight.

"Sane company."

Kensuke had serious worries about the state of the world if the Knight considered himself sane. What sane person terrifies walking corpses, a fanatical zealot and even a witch that controlled an everlasting flame?

"I can tell what you're thinking, I wouldn't be so worried," said the Outrider placing the bottle on the table where his sword rested, all from a sitting position. There was a hacking cough from the Knight as the icy chill of his lungs coated the air "I am quite different to the rest of the chattel here, whether they are Royce's or Sulyvahn's."

Kensuke's curiosity had worked itself into a furore, he needed answers now. Consequences be damned.

"Who are these people. Who is Archdeacon Royce, who is Pontiff Sulyvahn? And by all that is holy what is Aldrich? Is that what you are looking for?"

The room got even more impossibly cold, as frost literally chilled the paint from the walls. Kensuke felt fear, but he quashed it down and met the Outrider's gaze for what felt like hours.

Metal shifted as the Knight's helmet tilted in surprise. "For a priest you know little of your religion. But there's fire in you, do not let Dorhys snuff it out."

The Outrider sighed slowly as he looked at the empty wine bottle on the table. He looked to Kensuke slowly.

"As for your questions? Hmm, well Archdeacon Royce is the last Archdeacon of the Cathedral of the Deep considering that Sulyvahn had McDonnell killed. Klimt disappeared after he found a different God, or perhaps I should say Goddess? Dorhys is the most senior Evangelist of Royce and she regards him as the Supreme authority of the Church." There was a growl from the Knight before he continued "However the  _glorious_  Pontiff Sulyvahn would disagree with that assertion, as the Tyrant of Irithyll he holds the highest title of Pontiff; Sulyvahn is 'officially' the Supreme Head of the Church. Despite this only Irithyll sways to him, the Cathedral of the Deep and the Undead Settlement bow to Royce."

Kensuke nodded slowly "Then what is Aldrich and why are you looking for it?"

"Who is Aldrich? Not what, although considering what he now looks like I can see why calling him an 'it' makes sense. He was once a Saint of the Cathedral before it transformed into what it is now. Aldrich had visions of a world covered in a  _deep blue sea,_ one that would bring an end to the cycle of light and darkness. _"_

The village elder shiver at the inflection following those last three words, in that moment the Outrider sounded every bit as monstrous as his reputation showed him to be. The Knight looked at Kensuke briefly shaking his head before going on.

"To give himself the power to bring about such an age Aldrich ate. He ate and ate and ate. It started innocently enough, but in his gluttony, he grew a penchant for men, women, and children. He consumed so many people that his skin began to warp and deform into a viscous black sludge as he bloated like a decaying pig. He was placed in the Cathedral of the Deep and worshipped as a God. It's funny, because Aldrich has not had a single lucid thought since he turned into that sludge and yet he is interpreted as an all-knowing deity. He's recently returned from that venture as a Lord of Cinder and was sent to the old Ruined Cathedral by Sulyvahn. For what I am not quite sure."

"Who are you then?" asked Kensuke warily.

The Outrider stood up and once again a vicious snapping sound filled the air as bones seemed to break and reform in an instant. He looked at Kensuke lazily from behind his helmet "I am Romund, one of the six Outrider Knights. Despite the fear and deference shown towards me by Dorhys, Adolar, Isebrand and Reinhold I can assure you I am no hero or great commander. I willingly share none of their loyalties. Only one of my siblings enjoys our status as Sulyvahn's eternal lapdogs but then again, he is different to us I suppose. But that's neither here nor there, I feel 'cloudy' so its best I leave you to it. I'd like to talk to you another time, and if I stay there won't be one for you."

Kensuke looked at Romund and had only one last question as the Knight picked up his sword and made to exit the room "Enjoy? You slaughtered my people! Did you not enjoy that?"

Romund's metal gauntlet crunched around the doorframe, as it ground to dust beneath his hand. The Outrider turned shimmering, but instead of anger Kensuke could see only sadness in the shivering blue eyes.

"I did not have a say in the matter, no Outrider has a choice. No Outrider has true free will. We original five were all of enemies of Sulyvahn once, and for this transgression we were punished. All but one of us were made into glorified slaves when we were given Sulyvahn's Eyes."

The Outrider let go of the doorframe as dust fell to the ground. He left the room and wandered down the corridor, but Kensuke could hear him still.

"The other was born and raised one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Still here?
> 
> Well surprise! I still am. I thought due to it being Halloween and all, and with the dead supposedly being closer to the living than any other night that someone as supposedly lifeless as me should make an appearance.
> 
> In all seriousness, I am very sorry for the massive delay of over a month for this chapter. It was partly my fault and partly circumstances I could not control. I moved houses shortly after the last update more than a month ago, and until about two weeks ago I could not get my PC up because of its beastly size. So I couldn't do any work on this chapter. However the past two weeks were entirely because of me and bad time management, I have a piece of University work due soon which I spent most of the last two weeks on to the detriment of me writing this chapter. But it's finished and I should be able to resume writing this fic again at a more reasonable rate, although it will be once every two weeks now due to Uni work. Not much else to say other than drop me a line if you have questions and as always I love to hear from any and all of you. Stay safe everyone and I'll catch you next time.


	22. Chapter 22

Gerhardt ran his clawed digits along the sword, observing Cinder as she spoke. Circumstances again interrupted their journey back; the Seer had come to visit once more. Salem's deceptively calm, and even kind, voice ordered for Cinder to meet with an old associate, one that Gerhardt that Gerhardt remembered hearing of.

Adam Taurus.

Leader of the Valesian Branch of the White Fang.

The man was tall enough, not a giant by any stretch but stood a few inches over Gerhardt. His build was nothing remarkable though, surprisingly lithe for what he was. Gerhardt recognised the type of blade he wielded for some reason. Eastern in look, something that required more dexterity than it did strength. Perhaps that explained the faunus' build.

"I fail to see what purpose you have for contacting us Adam," said Cinder with vicious impatience. Her eyes burned with the ire of her new powers "We were instructed to hear you out, but as far as I can tell you have nothing to offer."

Adam's visor hid his eyes and therefore their expression well, but a displeased frown still betrayed his feelings. He let out a sigh "The White Fang has more to gain from this 'special relationship', and you do too. We want to rile up the villages in Mistral, faunus live among them but we know they itch to be truly free."

"And you need us why? The White Fang are more than capable of inflaming some racial tension."

The bull faunus kept quiet, and Gerhardt was certain that was to be the end of the negotiations. Asking for something without anything given in return. Cinder would never entertain charity. Especially not to someone who was so tactless as Adam Taurus was.

"Huntsmen."

Cinder's eyes perked up "Huntsmen?"

Adam growled quietly "They form the backbone of the community out in the villages of Mistral, nothing will happen as long as they form the pillar for society. Normally we could have dealt with them ourselves, but in order to cover for your hired that idiot of yours Roman's mistakes I had to sacrifice many of my elite. So now we can no longer overpower Huntsmen as easily as we could before."

Gerhardt watched Neopolitan bristle as she stood up, before Mercury and Emerald simultaneously pulled her down with surprising grace. Roman, who was Roman? Someone important to Cinder's newest subordinate? The name tasted familiar but was murky all the same. Gerhardt fell irritation bubbling into anger, and apparently it showed. Cinder turned to him in a sudden movement and smiled as her Maiden powers glowed. To most that was a threat, but Gerhardt saw it for what it was. He felt the scorching fire running through the veins underneath his skin.

What a beautiful feeling.

"We know you have plans in Mistral," continued Adam, either oblivious or uncaring to the tension that was building, "if you help us destabilise the villages it will be much easier to make a move on Mistral proper."

Cinder shook her head "We don't have to 'make a move on Mistral proper', we have an insider who will have things ready for us when it suits."

"If you think Lionheart will guarantee anything for you, then you are sorely mistaken."

Gerhardt understood very suddenly the implicit meaning of that statement, he knew that the number of people who were aware of who Lionheart really worked for was small. Very small. There was an unspoken war going on between Cinder and Adam at that moment, as both tried to read the other.

Finally, one gave, and to Gerhardt's surprise it was not Adam.

"I will not help you myself," said Cinder with a hint of spite, "We have designs in Kuroyuri specifically, and while I wish I could take part in securing our interests my Mistress has made it apparent that I am to return promptly despite prior orders to clean up Hazel and Tyrian's mess. But I can spare two of my group to help you, and in return you will help them tie up loose ends in Kuroyuri."

Emerald and Mercury straightened up.

"Gerhardt and Neo will help you."

There was surprise in Emerald's eyes, but nothing else. Mercury even looked somewhat thrilled as he relaxed back onto the log he was using as a makeshift chair.

Adam nodded "I would rather not have to deal with Roman's lacky, but she is undoubtedly effective. As for Gerhardt, some of my men told me about his fight with Roman. If what they said is accurate, then he will be invaluable."

At that very moment everything went deathly still. Adam looked confused as Mercury and Emerald seized up, while even Neopolitan froze despite the insult from Adam. Cinder's eyes widened as she turned to Gerhardt.

Fight with Roman? When had he fought with someone called Roman? He had woken up from death, he knew that. Cinder had woken him. There had only been blackness before then, nothing before then. How could he have fought this person?

Gerhardt looked at the metal of his plate armour. He observed the dents and bruises but saw nothing that reminded him of anything to do with this Roman. He had scratches from his fight with Oda, some scuffs from the legions of Grimm and even some slight dents from where the Atlesian soldiers had shot at him before he blacked out. Judging by the size it was likely the work of an Atlesian Paladin.

An Atlesian Paladin.

Torchwick had piloted an Atlesian Paladin, hadn't he? Gerhardt remembered that day, he had gotten his cape embroidered with a special symbol as he went shopping with... who did he go shopping with?

Velvet.

They had seen Roman and gone to fight him, hadn't they? While in a fight he had cut Torchwick's arm off. Faces that were murky suddenly became very clear. Velvet laughing as she watched his amazement with that movie they had gone to see. Yang screaming at him for trying to kill Torchwick. Ruby smiling as they left detention because he agreed they should get to know each other better.

The Pontiff's crown and mask commanded all his attention, as he came to a realisation.

This wasn't home.

A chill coated the air, as Gerhardt turned to Neopolitan with recognition. Torchwick's partner.

An enemy.

His ice-blue eyes glowed freezing her still, and as he opened his mouth, Neo could see the razor-sharp teeth he had. Emerald cast an illusion in an instant feeling the permafrost coat her skin, but Gerhardt's eyes stared at her still with no change. Mercury slowly coiled himself as he prepared to spring to action, too sudden and Gerhardt himself would pounce.

The Outrider lifted his sword with one hand despite its size, hunching over as he shakily stood on two legs.

"Do not think about those things Gerhardt. Ignore them," said Cinder calmly, her eyes doing their best to hide her own feelings.

In that moment, curt and yet eternal, Cinder felt terror pulse through her. The eyes of the Outrider turned to her not with anger, frustration, or fear but instead with utter blankness. With one look he asked who she was, and of all the situations that could have arisen that was perhaps one of the most dangerous scenarios. The power of the Fall Maiden coursed through her, as she desperately tried to influence him with her power as she had learned to do.

There was resistance, and for the slightest moment the magma that seemed to course through his skin went quiet. A cold and deeper Dark instead dripped off of him. Gerhardt's pale blue eyes burned red as they stared at Cinder, and she swore in the blackness trailing off him she saw screaming faces.

But as suddenly as it came. It went.

Gerhardt began nodding slowly as he once again Embered to Cinder's relief. All hints of what had happened disappeared, save a great sheen of ice that had nearly swallowed the whole area.

The Outrider sighed as he mulled over what Cinder had arranged.

Adam was going to be working with them. Gerhardt did not know why Neopolitan was being used, considering that Adam had a bad relationship with this 'Roman' which Neopolitan seemed quite fond of. He wondered just who Roman was. He'd never met the man. It mattered little however, a Knight must obey.

Cinder turned to Adam with unmistakable sweat on her forehead despite the massive chill that now coated the area. The faunus had a similar nervous expression. Cinder let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding "We will need to discuss the 'conditions' of using him."

* * *

"Alone again Priest?" asked Romund calmly, his ethereal footsteps echoing along the street. He watched the man and his 'congregation' from the corner of his eyes, noting with distaste the state of the villagers.

Kensuke turned from the congregation who moaned and screamed as he looked to the Outrider instead of them. The priest shook his head "No I have my flock."

Romund stared with the frozen remnants of pity that he had, as Kensuke looked on at the crackled skin and hollow eyes of his fellow villagers. He watched the one that Kensuke had called Daisuke tear at the skin on his head, while another one named Rikka cried and curled into a ball in a mess of robes that they had been forced to wear. The Outrider saw the others lie on the ground without purpose, their senses dead to the world. A fate ever so common in Lothric.

"You are alone Priest," said Romund with soft breath, "we both are."

There was a certain finality to those words that even Romund couldn't bear thinking about.

Kensuke sighed "I suppose we are then, I take it you want company?"

Romund gave him the closest thing he could to a smile from his deformed and ravaged face locked behind inches of steel plate.

"Only if you would be so kind."

Kensuke quickly hushed and shooed the congregation, watching as they retreated into the depths of the village to go about the reconstruction that was still ongoing. Dorhys had great plans for the village, and with the hollowing of all but one of the survivors she also had the many hands to see it all through.

The Outrider slowed to allow Kensuke to match his stride, considering he was just barely up to Knight's stomach even while Romund slouched it was nigh impossible for Kensuke keep up unless he accommodated the priest. Kensuke was an old man making his way through the last stride of his seventies. He was verging on decrepit, and even a younger and healthier man would not have matched Romund unless he chose to allow them to. The least the Knight could do was show some compassion and make it easier for him.

"So, has Dorhys been working you to the bone as usual?" said Romund with as much of a conversational tone as he could muster, idle chatter had never been his specialty, but it was best to enjoy these things when he could.

Romund's casual nature still surprised himself, never mind Kensuke.

The priest nodded "She's… being difficult I will admit. She expects bi-daily sermons to the congregation, even though my people can no longer differentiate between night and day. I wish she would just kill them, it's less cruel than using them as brain-dead slaves."

If only Kensuke knew just how much worse things could get.

"It wouldn't be the way of the Cathedral to do the right thing." Romund turned to look at Kensuke "You will learn that the evil of men is perhaps unmatched by anything except the hubris of the Gods."

The Priest sighed "You speak as if you knew them."

"Knew who?"

"The Gods of course," laughed Kensuke, tired beyond words.

A flash of painful memories coursed through the Outrider, as he remembered back to the days before Irithyll had become free. He remembered, the lonely child that was Gwyn's lastborn. Immature despite being older than anyone else alive.

Romund let out a hollow chuckle himself "I served one once upon a time. Before I was an Outrider Knight, I was a Knight of the Darkmoon. We served the great and illustrious Gwyn's son, the Darksun Gwyndolin. The last God left. Supposedly."

The Outrider slouched over against a wall, giving Kensuke his cue to listen and learn. If there was one thing Romund enjoyed the man for being other than resilient, it was his nature as a good listener.

"Even as I served him, I saw the corrupt nature of the Gods," began Romund, "their very history is drenched in arrogance and stupidity. But to be born in Irithyll at that time effectively resigned oneself to his service, as we were powerless to the Silver Knights, Giants and Batwing Demons of Anor Londo. I am cursed and blessed by the fact that I chose the path of Knighthood as a Darkmoon Blade instead of joining the bastardised remnants of the Princess Guard, for if I had not, I likely would have been fed to Aldrich when Sulyvahn brought about his coup against Gwyndolin. Of course, that also meant that this caused me to become what I am today. As I instead helped Sulyvahn and Aldrich lead it."

The voice of Dorhys calling for Kensuke interrupted them. The Priest asked another question, but another call ensured he had to leave. Romund bid him off, the Evangelist would not dare touch Kensuke now that she knew he was favoured.

An odd way of seeing a friend, but Romund had no doubt that Kensuke would accept that they lived in odd times.

The Outrider wandered into the church proper, still heavily under construction in certain areas but a modest enough bed room existed for someone of his size. Better than sleeping on the field as he went about his missions for Sulyvahn. If only he could take off his armour and enjoy it as he once had.

He pondered Kensuke's last question, about what life had been like in Irithyll at its height. He remembered almost all of it surprisingly, a commodity he would not have much longer. Sleep tugged at him, another precious thing he soon may not be able to enjoy in the near future.

As he felt himself drift, for the first time in a while he dreamt. He was not stuck in the hell that Sulyvahn had put him into. The iron and flesh cage that was his armour. He was.

He was home.

* * *

_Irithyll grew colder day by day, but Romund would be lying if he said he found it disquieting. If anything, it made him feel warmer than any fire ever could. He had never been happier than the day he had seen snow first fall on Anor Londo. The beautiful frustration and fear on Gwyndolin's face as he tried and failed to disperse the snow with his illusions._

_It had been the first time he had seen the weakness of the God._

_Now he ruled over Anor Londo and Irithyll alone. He sat perched on one of the two thrones made in the former cathedral, where the illusion of Dragonslayer Ornstein and the last true Knight of Anor Londo Executioner Smough had tested undead to see if they were chosen. His sole rulership was a new development from the millennia of co-rulership with Sulyvahn. With Aldrich long gone having fed the Flames against his own wishes, and Gwyndolin forever rendered powerless inside the room that once housed the Lordvessel, it was fair to say that Romund was free. No Gods. No Masters._

_Sulyvahn was in the Grand Archives for the time being, and likely would be for a few decades. Time was convoluted in Lothric especially as the Flame faded again with time and space itself becoming loose, but the Irithyllian blood in him relegated death from old age to a mere fantasy. Sulyvahn was not born of Irithyll but he did not age all the same. Therefore, long periods of time without seeing each other were expected, and of little consequence. His friend would not die, and neither would he. That was the curse and blessing that life had bestowed on them. The Cycle was striking others with the afflictions of longer life, as even those normal men and women of Lothric seemed to die less and less with those that did often getting right back up again at the bonfires. Sulyvahn's research in the Grand Archives was focused on how to best overcome that. To see whether there was a quicker way of bringing an end to a cycle than letting it burn out._

" _Romund!" called a booming voice from across the room._

_The Tyrant of Irithyll shifted in his throne as he saw his visitor._

" _Vordt of the Boreal Valley," said Romund with some distaste._

_The former Captain of the Darkmoon blades once upon a time, before the Twilight of the Darkmoon when Anor Londo and Irithyll's streets had run red with the loyal Blades' blood. Vordt had been rarely seen apart from Gwyndolin during the final years of the God's rule, as he grew frailer from the poison Romund had brewed and as he became more paranoid as he saw plots everywhere except by those he held with most esteem. It was fortunate Sulyvahn had convinced the Darksun to send Vordt away on a mission, so the coup could take place, even now he dreaded the idea of fighting the man. Vordt's greathammer was a mere mace in the Captain's hands._

_That said everything there was to be said about Vordt's strength._

_He had been friend once, a good friend. Romund had shared many revels with the man after successful persecutions of those who had sinned against Anor Londo. He had drunk alongside the man, fought alongside the man, slept alongside the man. There was a time when he would have given his life for Vordt, and the Captain would have done the same._

_That time had long since ended._

_The Pontiff Knights stepped forward barring Vordt any further entry, while the Fire Witches readied their Immolation Tinders burning with that wretched Profaned Flame that Sulyvahn was infatuated with. With the Pontiff's absence both orders obeyed him without question, although Romund could see the fear on the Pontiff Knight's faces. They were graceful fighters but were not so perfect as the Fire Witches. Still susceptible to every weakness any normal soldier could have, far too human._

_He would have to work on that with Sulyvahn when they got back._

" _What brings you to me Vordt? You have not been spotted this far from Eliana's side in a millennium. It must be important, especially for you to trek the entire way up to Anor Londo from Irithyll. You're just in time for the return of Gwynevere, and a conversation with Gwyn. Because I can assure you, there is a better chance of seeing them than you do your old master."_

_Vordt was hardly a stupid man, and even if he were there was no man or woman dumb enough to believe Gwynevere was ever returning. The runaway Goddess had not been seen since before the Gwyn had left to link the First Flame in times immemorial, if it were not for Eliana appearing one day two millennia ago it would be fair to assume that Gwynevere had long since perished. But a half-human and half-goddess bearing the blood of Gwyn appearing unannounced in Anor Londo proved otherwise, and despite having been abandoned by his sister with not even a goodbye, Gwyndolin had been happy to take Eliana in._

_Another family member for the Darksun, and a legitimate one. Unlike that Dragonling Yorshka, daughter of the Crossbreed._

_But alas, his thoughts had wandered. Vordt appearing was, suffice to say, an unusual occurrence. It had been a common understanding that Vordt was not happy with Irithyll's new regime but could do nothing about it. The same was however true for Sulyvahn's desire to see Vordt gone, even now after conquering the power of the Profaned Flame and controlling a legion of Irithyll's strongest warriors it was more trouble that it was worth to try and fight the former Captain of the Blades._

_Romund agreed with his friend on that matter._

_Vordt snarled "We wish to speak with Gwyndolin."_

_The Tyrant could not help it. He laughed. He laughed to the point that tears prickled in his eyes._

_As stubborn as ever._

" _For a loyal dog you are poor at listening to what your betters tell you. Begone Vordt. Slink back to hide behind Eliana's skirt and be glad that we do not kill your or your taskmaster for asking such things!" Romund waved to the Pontiff Knights to see Vordt off._

_Metal clanked, but the thundering footsteps of Vordt were not heard. Romund narrowed his eyes. Vordt stood still, not budging as the Pontiff Knights grabbed his arms in a feeble attempt to move him. The former Captain of the Blades was a mountain of flesh clad in full plate, superhumanly strong even among Irithyllians. Everyone knew that._

_But to see it was something much more disconcerting, especially when it was indirectly threating him._

" _I shall not move until Eliana's request is granted," declared Vordt standing tall as he drew his weapon._

_The Fire Witches coated the room in fire, as their Tinders pointed to Vordt who unflinchingly glared back at the abyss where their faces should be. Romund watched, as the Fire Witches began to pool their strength together creating a profaned Sun that drenched the room in a black-orange flame._

_Vordt stared still._

_More trouble than he was worth, curse whatever friendship he had once shared with this man._

" _Stop."_

_With a simple command the Fire Witches blanketed their flame, the Sun dwindling until it was no more in a few moments. Vordt nodded slowly, already knowing that Romund had acquiesced._

_The Tyrant sighed as he rose from his seat "Send her in then."_

_It was not long before Vordt fetched his Mistress. In she walked, elegance personified. Every step graceful and full of beauty. Silken marron hair, marking her as a descendant of the Lord of Fire. Her golden eyes burning with that unknowable quality that all Irithyll wished to unravel, with pink skin that was almost tanned in comparison to the white skin of Irithyll's sons and daughters._

_Eliana, daughter of Gwynevere._

_Romund could see why Sulyvahn found her interesting, and he could see why the rest of Irithyll found her alluring. But he also saw the danger she posed. A child of the Gods, a rallying point for those that opposed his and Sulyvahn's rule. But also, a being that helped legitimise the claim the regime had, the idea that the God's blessed their self-governance and that a child of them walked the frigid streets._

_Because of course, the inhabitants of Irithyll proper knew none of the details surrounding the Twilight of the Darkmoon Blades. Romund had made sure that no one knew. Only those who had no interest in telling the truth possessed it._

_Eliana. Too important to kill or to let live, and so the limbo of her existence was instead enforced. No one acted against her, and in return she did not interfere with the Cathedral's or his activities. She kept Vordt from taking action as well._

_The Tyrant of Irithyll gave her the welcome she deserved._

" _Ah, there you are," snarled Romund, "It's been too long. What have you come for?"_

_She smiled with a distinct bitterness "I would wish it longer Usurper, but sometimes necessity draws even the most ill-suited beings together. I have not spoken with my Uncle in a hundred years, not since you last let me see him. Is my love and worry for him not enough?"_

" _No." Romund descended down from the throne judging her with every step "No, it is not."_

_The Pontiff Knights warily drew their swords once more, as the Fire Witches again stoked their Tinders. Vordt's greathammer dangerously slid across the floor._

_Silence._

" _I have received a message from my Mother," said Eliana with great hesitation, "and I wish to relay it to my Uncle."_

_So, that confirmed it then? The Princess of Sunlight still persisted. Even after abandoning her daughter. Romund has suspected she had gone the way of the Firstborn, but it seemed that Gwynevere was surprisingly robust. Certainly, she was smarter and stronger than her younger brother._

" _In return for me graciously allowing you to relay that message, I only ask that I be there to hear it be given."_

_Eliana's nod was sharp but was complimented with a bitter frown, seems she expected to have to make concessions. Romund smiled. He could not afford to appear to be giving too many concessions, such allegations might jeopardise his and Sulyvahn's work by suggesting weakness in both of them._

_He decided to keep his genuine interest in what the Princess of Sunlight had said carefully hidden._

" _Come then," beckoned Romund moving towards the elevator that rose to the room where Gwyndolin was kept prisoner._

_He kept quiet, and as a gesture of goodwill chose to allow Vordt to accompany her without calling his own Pontiff Knights or Fire Witches to accompany him. He would not need them anyways, he had been a Darkmoon Blade too and one of the strongest of them. He could hold his own should he need to._

_The great doors stood still, grand but not betraying the true glory of what they did. The prison of the Darksun. The Jail of Gwyndolin. Ironic that the room which once trapped the fates of the undead to link the flames through Gwyndolin's illusion of Gwynevere was now where the last-born found himself imprisoned. Two Fire Witches flanked the door on each side, barring entry._

" _Open it."_

_Without a word they did, standing back as the great doors opened with a massive groan. An ornate room draped in the finest décor and furniture in all Irithyll stood before them. Romund sighed, Aldrich had wanted Gwyndolin shackled in the dungeons, Sulyvahn had agreed at one point until Romund had convinced him otherwise. If ever anyone was to see the God in chains, their legitimacy would be at stake. Instead he was still treated like the God he was. Much to both his and Sulyvahn's distaste._

" _Ah my dearest Eliana, it's so good to see you."_

" _Uncle!"_

_Romund watched as Eliana hugged the emaciated and weakened Gywndolin, whose sickly appearance was worse than ever. He was still administered the poison that Romund had made all those years ago, for if his strength were to wax even a tad then all could be lost._

" _How are you Uncle?" asked Elina her emotions apparent._

_Gwyndolin's smile was painful "As well as could be expected little Eliana."_

" _Make it quick both of you," said Romund, "I have neither the want nor the reason to stand here and listen to you two exchange useless pleasantries."_

_Both shot him a vicious glare, but there was nothing they could do. Gwyndolin would remain prisoner, and Eliana would remain a living ghost. It could be the last time they saw each other, but sympathy did not come into ruling Irithyll. How many had Gwyndolin sent to become hollow on the path to link the Flame? Eliana was not guiltless either, her mother's daughter. Liable to cause as much suffering as Gwynevere had all those years ago._

" _Uncle… I bring a message. From Mother."_

" _I-I see. What message did your mother give you?" Gwnydolin stood up to hear the answer, a sudden show of strength both he and Romund were surprised was even possible to show._

_Eliana licked her lips to try and force herself to speak. Her Uncle waited with great patience, and even Romund seemed perched to listen for an eternity if necessary._

_The silence was deafening. But with one final lick of her lips, Eliana continued._

" _She said she's sorry she never said goodbye, and that she's sorry she cannot help you. She's sorry for everything."_

_Gwyndolin collapsed into a heap. He wrenched the Crown of the Darksun from his head, revealing his glassy unfocused golden eyes growing wet with tears and pure ivory hair were revealed for the first time in many millennia._

" _That's all she said?"_

_Eliana nodded her heart bleeding._

" _Well, at least now I know. Countless cycles have passed, and there has not been a day in them where I have not wondered why your Mother never returned. Why she never helped me. Why she left me alone."_

"…  _Uncle?"_

" _She left me alone because she did not care," laughed Gwyndolin,"it took me hundreds of thousands of years to see my Eldest Sister did not care. While Filianore slept with the Pygmys and my older Brother was exiled, Gwynevere decided to abandon me. I took in her daughter, with not a single question despite having not seen her since Father went to link the Flame, and she still did not return. Now she has the audacity to apologise, and not even appear herself to give it? An eternal curse upon her."_

" _Uncle please…"_

" _Just leave me, I ask you for this one thing. Leave me be. I have nothing more to say to you. Follow your own design, for I will have nothing to do with it."_

_All of the life that had remained in the God seemed to have left, his face morose and his spirit battered beyond any repair. Eliana reached her arm out, but she withdrew it seconds later. Vordt watched from the background, still as a statue. Romund watched with shock._

_Eliana withdrew, stalking out of the doors with haste. Vordt followed close behind giving one last fleeting look to his former master and God. Eliana's retreat was surprisingly tactless and lacking in grace for someone like her, but Romund could tell that relaying that message had hurt her. Almost as much as it had hurt her Uncle._

_Romund made to leave himself his curiosity sated._

" _Not you."_

_The Tyrant of Irithyll looked at Gwyndolin with a range of emotions; anger, shock, hate, and perhaps most disgustingly of all. Pity._

" _Why haven't you killed me?" asked the Darksun, the very life drained from him, "Why must I suffer like this?"_

_All the reasons that Romund had mulled over in his head, as to why Gwyndolin deserved to exist in humiliation and pain ran through his head but none seemed to justify it any. For a moment, he saw not a false idol that had caused the deaths and suffering of untold thousands in a quest to prolong the inevitable, nor his own God that he had loyally served for several millennia prior. All he saw was a tired, scared boy draped in the robes of a God. Deemed so weak and feminine at birth that he was raised as a daughter. The last true God of this city that still breathed._

_Left alone in the Twilight of Anor Londo, Gwyndolin had never grown or changed. From the instant his father left, till right now he was very much the same being. Terrified of the dark._

_So why did he allow the God to suffer like this? When even he could not justify it?_

_Gwyndolin's eyes widened like a cornered beast "Why do I suffer Romund?"_

" _I don't know."_

_Romund turned his back on the God, not listening to his pleads that he stay. He waved to the Fire Witches as the closed the great doors once more to the grandiose prison of the last God that had stayed. All others had run or died, and even the one that was left behind wanted to go._

_But the greatest irony, was that Gwyndolin had willingly stayed behind in fear all those years and yet now he will be forced to persist when he finally chose to go._

_All the political opponents Romund had murdered, their children exiled, and names torn from the history books. His fellow brothers and sisters that he had cut down while they begged for mercy. Despite all the atrocities he had committed as Tyrant of Irithyll this was perhaps the most heinous._

_He could not kill him. The one who had both shaped and ruined his life was forever part of it. He had not the heart to kill him nor could he afford to._

_Romund walked out past the great hall, and onto the steps that led to the Great Cathedral waving off the concerned questions of the Pontiff Knights and the glances of the Fire Witches. He looked at the beautiful moon that shone with an almost purple glow, as flakes of snow painted Irithyll and Anor Londo both._

_He saw Farron Keep, and the Undead Settlement which was alongside Lothric on that Great Mountain with the mighty bridge that connected them. He saw the ruins of the Profaned Capital from his perch on high._

_The Tyrant of Irithyll knew that this cycle would be the last, he knew it in his bones. The entire world was converging on one area again, as the Transitory Lands began to merge and become each other. The Fire was fading, and if the plan he and Sulyvahn shared did not work then all beings whether Human, God or something in-between would disappear with it._

_The Cycles had shared eras of Dark and Light, and yet the outcome never changed. Stagnation continued as the world itself rotted over hundred of thousands of years. Only Sulyvahn and himself could bring about a third option._

_But as he finally left after hours of gazing at the moon, seeing the weak rays of the aching and tired sun rising in the East he could only remember a saying in Irithyll. That just as a thing falls to pieces, it unleashes its last flash of great power._

_He could only hope that this final cycle bore no such surprises._

* * *

The dream faded, and Romund awoke to bitter reality. His felt exhausted despite his rest, but alas that was reality now.

To have held Irithyll in his hands, and to have lost it because of a disagreement with Sulyvahn on the brutality necessary to achieve their goals. For speaking out once he had been damned eternally. Poetic justice, for all those he had killed and exiled.

No Outrider deserved their fate except him. Romund had long made peace with the consequences of his actions.

He knew Sulyvahn better than any had or ever would. While the objective was to take Gerhardt home, it was unlikely the Pontiff would leave this Remnant alone. They would return thereafter, to subject the World. Not for something as petty as more slaves or power.

No, Sulyvahn would do it to try and further their plan.

A world without cycles.

The time he had spent in the Grand Archives had taught the Tyrant much, but not nearly as much as was needed.

Romund was well aware of the hellscape that Lothric had become in their joint efforts to bring about such a world. Even after his own fall from grace to become an Outrider, Sulyvahn still worked towards the same goal.

He had what his people wrought upon this village. The idea of what they could wrought upon a whole world was enough to turn the stomach. All for a world that Romund now knew could never be in their own. He finally had realised the futility of his plan, although he had lost everything in return for being able to see it.

The Cycle was eternal.

Gerhardt must not return, and not just because no Outrider should be forced to return to Sulyvahn. Romund did not know exactly what plans Sulyvahn has for Gerhardt, the boy had was fresh in Irithyll's history, having appeared only about sixteen years ago. An instant in the sands of time that other Irithyllians had walked in. But that age was significant enough, it had been hundreds of years since a native-born child of that Boreal Valley had walked Irithyll's streets, even if Gerhardt's origin seemed anything but natural. There was more than meets the eye to the youngest Outrider.

A search party of this size and calibre would not have been sent for Vordt or even the Dancer going missing. But for Gerhardt, Sulyvahn had been insistent, almost rabid, in how he demanded that something was to be done. Romund knew that by preventing his return that he would spit in the face of Sulyvahn. That brought him unspeakable pleasure. The time was fast approaching where he will no longer recognise anyone or anything, when the Eyes would eat his soul. He would be damned if he could not spite Sulyvahn one last time.

It would not do if he could not see Gerhardt before that. To tell him he can escape this hell.

But little could be done for now, until Gerhardt was even found. He could delay until the outpost was complete, and the company of Kensuke was certainly appreciated. However, time marched on, and Adolar would grow suspicious if he did not lead them onwards. That would take a while yet, though.

In the meantime, Romund would eagerly indulge in this respite. What else was life willing to afford a monster like him?

* * *

"You know it's been really boring this past few weeks," said Yang, her hands behind her head.

Weiss nodded "You can say that again."

"You know it's been really boring this past few weeks."

Blake smiled as Weiss turned with outrage in her eyes. Yang had a beautiful smirk on her face, and face contorted with pure unadulterated self-satisfaction. Weiss began to try and give Yang a talking too, but Blake could tell that would never work. But the two made got into the friendly argument anyways.

She watched Ruby look on with that depressing dullness she found herself trapped in. Blake sighed snaking her hand around the smaller girl's shoulder and pulling her close.

Ruby was getting better, just painfully and slowly.

"How are you feeling?" whispered Blake, calm and quiet over the mock argument of Weiss and Yang.

"Ok. Much better than last week anyways."

Ruby's answer was curt, but that did not matter to Blake. What mattered was it was honest. Ruby had doubts about her worth and her ability, despite having melted these doubts in others with a bubbly and supportive personality. While Blake probably spoke to Yang the most of Team RWBY she loved them all equally, Ruby had helped her in more ways than one. Blake would put more than her neck on the line to help her leader out.

Unfortunately, Ruby had been quite insistent that no special treatment was to be given to her; the Breach had stunted the School Year but not halted it. Things were resuming at a slow but steady pace. Professor Port would wander in from clean-up operations covered in dust, both kinds, and scratches to give lectures. Oobleck would rush even more than usual through a lesson so he could return to the field with haste, people were adapting to the environment around them. The Grimm were growing less and less. Rumour had it within two to three months they would be completely gone.

Prof-no Headmistress Goodwitch wanted to speak with them in person, and from what Blake had heard around the dorms, this was not a meeting only Team RWBY was receiving. Some of the highest performing teams, save Team VRSN which had been sent on a mission that no one really knew much about, were being called to speak with Goodwitch. If Blake was to make a guess, it was for a reward or competition.

She was hoping reward to be honest.

"Well let's get going then," said Weiss having long ceased the argument with Yang, Pointless getting into arguments with her, even if she knew that Yang would get her going again by the end of today. She stared at the elevator with a bit of trepidation.

"Scared Weiss," teased Yang.

Weiss's nod was quick "Yes. Miss Goodwitch scares me if I am perfectly honest."

"Me too," said Yang all teasing gone.

Blake smiled "Me three."

"Me four."

Yang ruffled Ruby's hair with her patented ferocity pulling her into a hug, as a ball of black and red whined about Yang being 'embarrassing'. Weiss laughed as she directed the two into the elevator and Blake had to stop herself bursting into an unbecoming grin as she followed after them.

Yeah. Ruby was making progress.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened onto the Headmaster's old office, now belonging to Headmistress Goodwitch. Ozpin's absence had yet to be explained fully, there were rumours that he had died but others said he had been forced by the Council to stand down for his handling of the Breach. Maybe he had even retired? Truth was, no one knew.

"You're here," said Glynda calmly, stirring some coffee. Hot beverages seemed to be a universal thing between those who led Beacon. Her eyes closed over as she took a drink "I won't keep you long, so take a seat."

Blake blinked as she saw how perfectly the four seats in front of them were set out. Goodwitch's obsession with preparing for things was welcome, especially with how hands-off Ozpin could be. A bit of direction and purpose was needed.

Ruby took her seat last, and Blake sighed to herself. Her progress was good, but she was still a shadow of what she once was. Where Ruby had been confident, she was now nervous, where she had been boisterous, she was silent. Hints of what she was supposed to be like came out around her Team, but Ruby wasn't Ruby if she was uncomfortable around others she had come to know.

Goodwitch pushed forward four pieces of paper "Things are getting back to normal at Beacon as you can see, but Vale is still unstable. We were due to hold the Vytal Festival, but at the moment we cannot, and it is far too important for the stability of the Four Kingdoms to be cancelled. Instead Headmaster Lionheart of Haven has agreed to host the festival in Mistral, and Team RWBY has the marks and grades to attend. Would you like to?"

Ruby surprisingly spoke up "Um…. well I am not so sure."

Blake, Weiss and Yang all simultaneously exchanged looks.

"We'd love to."

"Can't wait to go teach."

"I am sure if would be a good learning experience."

The look of betrayal on Ruby's face was so pure that Blake started laughing. Weiss and Yang similarly giggled at Ruby's misfortune. The WBY of RWBY were far too invested in helping Ruby to let her pass up something she would never have done before this had happened to her. A tournament would get the competitive drive and confidence back into Ruby, that was beyond necessary at this point if they wanted to heal her from what had happened.

"Well then Miss Rose," said Goodwitch pushing up her glasses to hide the smile in her own eyes, "you sign here. The rest of you do the same, I'll fill out the rest."

A vicious scratching of pens occurred, followed by a delayed and dragging of Ruby's own pen across the consent form goaded on by the glares of Weiss and Blake, while Yang basically wrote Ruby's name for her using her sister's hand. Once finished they stood up ready to leave.

"One last thing," said Glynda reaching a hand out to halt them. "you can take the trains most of the way, but some lines are still destroyed from the Breach. The festival is not for another month, you'll have to walk the final stretch to Shade. You think you can handle that?"

Yang's grin was infectious "You know what that means guys?"

Blake groaned.

"Road trip!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone still trucking, once again assignments keep me to a slower update schedule but it only slows me. Never stops me. Anyways hope you enjoy and hope that things are going well for everyone else. I keep failing to meet the update schedules because of my work, but I will always upload the next chapter and thanks for waiting. As always I love to hear from you in reviews or questions. Stay safe everyone, and I'll catch you next time.
> 
> Also sorry for the late upload on Ao3, had some trouble getting into my account but it's all sorted.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys first story, I hope to keep it going and update it every weekend or so, there will be longer chapters later on but for now I am keeping it kind of brief because I really wanted to get this idea on paper so to speak. See you soon.


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